Melodic Maelstrom
by pain17ification
Summary: Naruto is given a musical friend by Kami and incorporates music into his ninja skills while searching for his lost family! Full summary inside! Three-way Xover with Naruto, Pokémon, and Zelda! Uzumaki Centric!
1. Chapter 1: A Musical Encounter

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification loading an experimental story called "Melodic Maelstrom". It will be a Xover between Naruto and Pokémon that will have Naruto and Meloetta as the main characters. I hope that it goes over well.

Summary: Naruto was just an unlucky child who lived with a curse in a village that despised him. To cope with his sadness, he turned to music. But even the soft melodies were not enough. So, Kami decided to help out the boy by bestowing upon him a gift; a gift of friendship. She gifts him with a musical creature and the melodic knowledge needed to help the creature grow. Watch Naruto and his friend become legends as the _Rasen Senritsu_ (Spiral Melody) of Konoha while searching for his lost family.

Let me say now that Naruto will be OOC and have more Uzumaki-like traits in this story. Just wanted to give you guys a little heads up.

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Pokémon!

"Speech"

_'Thought/Mental speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

_**'Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 1: A Musical Encounter

Deep within the village of Konoha, a soft melody blew across the night breeze. Its sound was carried throughout the village streets, bathing the citizens in its beauty and gentleness. It calmed them, brought smiles to their faces, and engulfed them.

The ironic thing about it was that the music came from the infamous Forest of Death, a place that a certain snake mistress loved to 'play around' in. What was even more ironic was that the music was played by Konoha's most hated child; Uzumaki Naruto. The child sat in a tree high above the ground and used a stray leaf he caught along the breeze to play a soft melody that he had learned from a kind old woman in the Red Light District of the village.

Dressed in ripped brown shorts and a stitched up black shirt with a red spiral on it, the young Uzumaki continued playing his music along the breeze. The child had spiky red hair and, though they were closed at the moment, beautiful amethyst eyes. Unknown to him, these pigmentations were from his mother's side while his untamable hair came from his father's. He was a child born from two great legends of Konoha, but young Naruto inherited more than his mother's traits after he was born. He inherited her burden as well; that burden being the dreaded Kyuubi no Yoko that had attacked Konoha eight years ago.

On the night of his birth, Naruto's mother, Kushina Uzumaki, had her seal tampered with and it resulted in the fox's escape. No one from the village knew of Kushina's condition or who had messed with the seal, but what they did know was that the fox attacked, the Yondaime Hokage sacrificed his life to 'defeat' it, and Naruto was the only survivor within the area of the Kyuubi's 'appearance'. This resulted in the villagers, mainly the civilians, seeing the boy as the fox incarnate and they used him as a scapegoat for their anger and grief at the loss of their families and their beloved Yondaime.

The Sandaime, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had to retake his position as Kage of the Leaf after the death of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime. He was a kindly old man who saw Naruto as just a child who was born on the wrong night and at the wrong time. The young redhead had miraculously grown up 'normally' in his eyes.

However, Naruto's growth was still far from 'normal'… He was hated, scorned, ignored, and occasionally chased into hiding from the villagers. They wouldn't physically harm him, but the emotional pain they dealt to him was more than enough for the young boy. He grew up alone and had always questioned whether his parents were alive, which they weren't, or if they even loved him, which they did deeply. Sarutobi kept the truth from him throughout his life due to Minato having many enemies outside of the village walls; especially in Iwa.

If it wasn't for the kind people from the Red Light District, or the occasional kind shinobi, the boy would have eventually snapped and been emotionally broken. The RLD people gave him some provisions they had either leftover or just lying around while the shinobi helped him escape the mobs and find places to hide. It was actually thanks to the elderly woman of the RLD that Naruto had gotten into music and used it as a means to cope. The woman taught him how to use leaves to play music and even taught him a melody that she had used in her youth to calm her children.

The melody was called "_Ongaku no Yoru_", or Musical Night, which was perfect for a cool night like this one. He played and repeated the melody for hours before he finally felt as if he had played enough. When he stopped, he turned his gaze to the moon and stared at the lunar mass as if in a trance. To his young imaginative mind, he saw shadowed figures along the moon's face. One was in the shape of a small child while two others were of an older man and woman. He saw the woman pick up the child and hold them close while the man embraced them both lovingly. Tears fell from his amethyst eyes as the figures faded and he thought to himself, _'Why is it that I have to live a lonely life? Why can't I have a mother to love and hold me and a father to support and guide me?'_ He then looked to the starry skies, the heavens, and asked aloud, "Why can't I have a family, Kami-sama?"

Since he began to wipe away his tears after the question, he missed the brightest star in the sky twinkle before fading out of sight.

Court of the Kami

A woman of divine beauty gazed in sadness at her latest query. She wore pure white robes with light surrounding her form. Silver hair adorned her head while her eyes were devoid of color, but not of compassion. This was Kami, and she had watched over the earth since its birth eons ago.

A tear fell down her face as she watched one of the last Uzumaki children suffer from her Seeing Mirror. Truly, Naruto Uzumaki did not deserve the life he had been dealt and his parents should have lived to raise, support, and love him unconditionally. In fact, the other Uzumaki did not deserve the lives they led either. One had used his pain to grow in darkness and make others see him as a god, one had lost her family to a man who utilized the snakes, and the last had to kill her abusive father out of self defense.

It seemed as if the Uzumaki, who had lived peaceful lives, were the ones who suffered the most in life. It may have been too late to save one of them, but the other three were not beyond saving; not yet. It all rested on the youngest Uzumaki and his kind nature. However, just kindness wouldn't be enough to help his scattered family. He would need her help; even if it was not right to interfere in the lives of mortals. However, the Uzumaki Clan did not deserve their fate, so a small interference would not be seen as _too_ meddlesome.

Forming an orb of light in her hands, Kami whispered to it and released it into the mirror with a soft smile on her visage. It was up to young Naruto and his soon to be partner now.

With Naruto

The young redhead had just made it back to his apartment after his 'talk' with Kami. Since it was late at night, he was able to avoid people much easier and make it home without any problems. That didn't mean he was _completely_ safe though. After all, everyone knew the location of the home of the 'Demon Child'. He quickly cleaned himself off of the dirt and leaves from the Forest of Death and was about to go to sleep. However, when he entered his bedroom, he saw a glowing white sphere floating on his bed, releasing a calming aura. As he got closer, whispers entered his ears and a beautiful, yet unknown, melody filled his mind. His eyes closed and a smile grew on his face as the melody cleansed the sullen aura that filled his heart.

Then, the sphere flashed in a bright light that, had Naruto kept his eyes open, would have blinded the poor boy. When the light died down, the young Uzumaki opened his eyes to the sight of a small creature standing on his bed. It seemed to be a feminine creature with musical bar-style streaks in its bright green hair, quarter notes ( ) for its arms and hands, and pupil-less eyes that resembled whole notes. It had a 'third eye' or a jewel on its forehead and a black headpiece that seems to be shaped like a treble clef. The headpiece appeared as if it doubled as an attached microphone such as one often used by singers. Its ovular head seemed to be ⅓ its body's height and about half its height in width.

Naruto gaped at the little creature while it smiled at him before giving a polite curtsy. _'Greetings, young Uzumaki… It's a pleasure to meet you,'_ greeted a young female voice in Naruto's head. When he looked around for the source, he heard a soft giggle before he turned his attention back to the creature on his bed that seemed to have a hand in front of its mouth and a smile on its face. _'It was I who spoke to you. I'm glad that I was able to make it here before you went to sleep.'_

"W-What are you?" asked a slightly scared Naruto.

Keeping the smile, it replied, _'I am a being sent here by Kami-sama herself to speak to you. She has watched over all of the people living here in the mortal plane for ages, but she couldn't help but see how you and the last of your people have suffered.'_

"My people…? What do you mean?"

_'What I mean is that you are not the only Uzumaki in this world, Naruto. In fact, you are one of the last _four_ Uzumaki.'_ She smiled softly once again as Naruto's eyes glistened with tears of joy. _'I know you may have many questions concerning them, but I'm afraid that I cannot answer them for I do not know much about them other than how they have suffered,'_ she informed him sadly.

Naruto also looked sad at the mention of his people suffering, but he held back on asking her about them. "So, who are you?"

_'Oh, I am called Uta (Song), and as I said earlier, I was sent here by Kami-sama. She wants to help you and your family, Naruto, since they were a peaceful people. Unfortunately, people took advantage of their peaceful nature and wiped them out, save for a few survivors. Kami-sama believes that you may have what it takes to unite your family together once more and she has sent me here to assist you.'_

Naruto was stunned at the news. To think that the great Kami herself had faith him in and that she wanted to help his family… It was unbelievable. "Why does Kami-sama have so much faith in me, Uta-san?"

_'You have lived a cruel life, Naruto…'_ began Uta with a saddened expression. _'You were born parentless, are cursed by the people of your home, and you know not of the reason for it all due to the refusal of informing you by the one you call Hokage. Yet, in spite of all you have been through, you still face the world every day and you still have what it takes to smile, even if it is not that often. It's because of this that Kami-sama has such faith in you, Naruto. You maintain hope even when it is hopeless, smile when you should curse the world, and live when you could have just ended your life to escape.'_ Uta then gave gestured to him and finished, _'You have the gift of connecting the hearts of others with something I personify; music. Just earlier, your melody with the leaf reached the ears of the villagers and temporarily halted the flow of anger and sadness in their hearts. And while Kami-sama has faith in you, I will stand by you and help you face the world.'_

Naruto beamed with happiness at her words. He had never received such praise before and it was the nicest thing he had ever experienced. Acting on impulse, he snatched up Uta into a thankful embrace, shocking her before she smiled softly and returned it. "Thank you, Uta-chan," whispered the redhead.

She just nodded before they separated. _'So, what will you do now Naruto?'_

Naruto stood tall and gazed at her with eyes burning in determination. "I'm going to find my family and save them from any more suffering. I'll find them and help restore their hope, and that's a promise!"

Uta smiled brightly and did a small twirl in happiness. _'I'm glad to hear it, Naruto. And like I said, I'll be with you every step of the way.'_ Her jewel began to glow before Naruto felt a tingle in his mind. Soon, musical knowledge, along with other aspects of knowledge, began to flow into his mind. _'This is one last gift from Kami-sama that I was tasked to give you seeing as you've chosen to help your family. It should be more than helpful to you for your journey.'_

Naruto closed his eyes as the information kept flowing into his mind. Not only did he learn higher forms of music, he learned of chakra, of human nature, and finally learned of what the Uzumaki were special for; fuinjutsu. With the knowledge stored into his mind, he gave Uta one last determined look and smiled before he passed out onto the floor.

Uta giggled in amusement before she telepathically lifted the boy onto his bed and moved the blanket to cover him. Finally, she glowed brightly before taking the form of a necklace with a quarter note symbol in emerald. _'Rest well, Naruto,'_ she said to him as the redhead slept.

This was just the start of a grand future for the youngest Uzumaki of the world.

(End)

So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts!

So please review and/or PM me what you think!

-pain17ification


	2. Chapter 2: Seeking Knowledge

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

I figured that this story was interesting enough to continue! Hope you guys enjoy it! Also, this story will use songs from Zelda: Ocarina of Time. So, this story is a slight three-way Xover between Naruto, Zelda, and Pokémon… Wow... My first three-way Xover...

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

_"Uta's Speech"_

_'Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

_**'Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 2: Seeking Knowledge

The morning sun shone through the window of Naruto's apartment, stirring him awake. He slowly sat up in his bed and stretched his stiff joints before he looked around his room. He saw that he was alone, making him sigh in sadness.

"I guess last night was just a dream…" he muttered with his eyes threatening to spill tears.

Suddenly, he felt a pulsing sensation come from around his neck and looked down to see a pendant in the shape of a quarter not around his neck. The pendant pulsed one final time before it faded into particles of light and Uta appeared before him with a smile on her face.

_"I assure you that last night was very real, Naruto."_

"Uta-chan!" he exclaimed happily before he pulled her into a joyful embrace. "I thought you left."

_"I told you that I would stay with you and support you. That means that I won't leave you, Naruto,"_ she reassured him while hugging the redhead back. _"Now, I believe that there were some questions that you had that were not answered?"_

Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and sat on his bed while Uta floated in the air in front of him in a seated position. "Yea I did. I wanted to know if there was a chance that I could find my family now. You said that they were suffering and I want to help them."

Uta frowned in thought while she floated back and forth in a pacing manner. _"You can, but I don't know if you're strong enough to go find them… Not to mention that you also have no experience outside of your village."_

"So, I just need to get stronger? Alright, I can do that no problem!" he pronounced with a fist pump.

_"It's not that simple, Naruto… Strength alone won't help you out there. You need knowledge of the outside world and what could happen out there also."_

"What about the knowledge you gave me last night? Wouldn't that be enough?"

_"While it's true that the knowledge you received is very beneficial to you, it isn't the knowledge you need to find your family. If you want to find them, you need to get stronger and learn of the world outside Konoha. Don't worry; I'll be with you every step of the way,"_ she told him with a smile.

Naruto smiled back and nodded. "Thanks Uta-chan. So, what should I do first?"

Uta looked out his window towards the Hokage Tower and sighed. _"You need to talk to your Hokage first… There are things you need to know that he has to tell you; things that are a part of who and what you are."_

"What I am…? What do you mean, Uta-chan?" he asked in confusion.

She shook her head and turned to him. _"It isn't my place to tell you, Naruto. Just go to him and ask about the seal on your stomach. If he denies knowledge of it, then he is lying. He knows more about you then you yourself know, Naruto."_

Naruto still looked confused, but he hesitantly nodded in consent. Uta gave him a reassuring smile before she transformed back into the necklace around Naruto's neck. Naruto then made his way to the Hokage Tower to ask the Sandaime about who he was.

Along the way, he noticed that the village had much more merchants and vendor carts. It took him passing about ten of them before he remembered what time of the year it was. _'That's right… It's nearing the Day of Lost Souls. If I remember right, it's the time of year where supposedly the souls of the dead are allowed to reunite with their family… I wonder if my parents ever visit me; assuming that they're dead.'_

As he passed multiple vendor carts, his eyes narrowed in on one that was selling musical instruments. He saw flutes, cymbals, small drums, horns, and many others. He stopped at the cart to get a better look before he noticed a lone instrument hidden underneath a cymbal. He pulled it out to examine it and saw that it had a round shape with a part of it stretching away from the body. It had twelve holes on it and the stretched out piece was, according to Naruto's recently acquired musical knowledge, where the musician would blow to produce a sound.

"That was a rare find, that one," said the cart owner surprising the redhead. "I found it in the ruins of an abandoned town along with other things. If I remember right, that little beauty is called an-"

"Ocarina…" Naruto finished as he continued to examine it. The instrument was made of wood and colored a bright sky blue with painted orange leaves adorning it. "It's beautiful… How much do you want for it?"

The vendor gave the small boy in front of him a closer look before he gave a small smile. "Tell you what kid; you play one song perfectly on that little beauty, and I'll let you keep it. You seem to have a real eye for musical items; something not seen in many places."

Naruto gaped at the offer before he smiled brightly and nodded. He then took a calming breath before he brought the mouthpiece to his lips and began to play. The melody of the ocarina was soft and magical, and it was slowly drawing the attention of the other vendors and passerby villagers. Amazingly as the music played, the leaves in nearby trees stirred up and flew around Naruto before floating away. After he stopped playing, Naruto sent a nervous grin to the vendor and asked, "How was that?"

The man nodded respectfully at the kid's performance. "Very well played, kid… So, what're you gonna call that little number?"

Naruto paused in thought before a title came to him. "I'll call it the Minuet of the Forest since I thought of the forests surrounding Konoha."

"A fine name… Well kid, a deal's a deal. That ocarina is yours now. Be sure to take damn good care of it."

Naruto nodded gratefully and sent the man a wide smile. "You bet, mister! And thanks for giving me this!"

As the happy redhead left, the vendor smiled and said to himself, "That boy… He's gonna go places."

Hokage's Office

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, was once again in the midst of dealing with the never-ending task known as paperwork. Ever since he returned to office after the sacrifice of his late successor, he was left to deal with the concerns of the village whether they were about security or about economy.

Thankfully for the old Kage, a knock came to his door before his secretary came in. "Hokage-sama, Naruto Uzumaki is here to speak with you."

"Thank you Anna. Please send him in," he replied. Anna was the fourth secretary he had since the other three were fired due to their resentment for Naruto and how they frequently denied the boy audience with him.

Soon the doors opened again, and Naruto stepped in with a noticeable bulge in his pocket. "Hey old man…" he greeted, although it wasn't as cheerful as Sarutobi was so used to hearing.

"Good morning, Naruto. I take it you have something you wish to speak to me about?"

Naruto nodded before he sat in the chair in front of Hiruzen's desk and fidgeted slightly. He slowly steeled his nerve before he blurted out, "Old man, what's this strange mark that appears on my stomach? It shows up whenever I focus on trying to gather chakra, but every other time it's gone… What is it?"

Hiruzen looked to the boy in sadness and thought of how best to explain it to him. He had hoped that the young Uzumaki wouldn't have asked about the seal holding back the Kyuubi for a few more years, but apparently that was no longer the case.

"Why are you interested in it, Naruto? Is it causing you any problems or pain?"

Naruto shook his head negatively. "No, it isn't… I'm just wondering what it is? I've noticed it for a while and thought nothing of it before… Although, last night I had a real…eye-opening experience and it made me question things about me again…"

The aged Kage nodded at the answer before he made a motion with his hand. Four masked ANBU appeared before him, surprising Naruto, and Sarutobi ordered, "Leave us." The ANBU all bowed before they disappeared from the office and Sarutobi activated a silencing seal within the room. Turning back to the young redhead, he stated, "Naruto, what I am about to tell you is incredibly important and must _not_ be spoken of outside of this office. Is that clear?"

Naruto was surprised at the seriousness in his grandfather figure's usually kind tone. He nodded and replied, "I won't tell anyone, Jiji."

Sarutobi nodded and laced his hands in front of him with his eyes closed. "…The markings on your stomach are in fact part of a very elaborate seal placed upon you. Tell me Naruto, what do you know of the night Kyuubi attacked the village?"

The sudden question confused the boy. "Not much other than what people have said about it in passing… The Yondaime faced the fox on top of a giant frog and killed it while sacrificing his own life."

"Firstly, it was a toad the Yondaime fought alongside; not a frog. Secondly, what the villagers have said is not the whole truth…"

"What do you mean…?"

The Sandaime suddenly felt much older as he stared into the confused and innocent eyes of Naruto. "The fox could not be killed, Naruto. It was much too powerful for any human to do so… The Yondaime faced the fox, and he did sacrifice his own life to defeat it… However, he did not kill it."

Naruto suddenly felt his stomach twist and a chill crawl up his spine. "Then, if he didn't kill it…how did he defeat the fox?"

Sarutobi's eyes were filled with sadness, pity, and regret as he relayed the answer. "He defeated it by sealing it into an infant; a newborn child that was to be seen as a hero… That child…was you, Naruto."

Naruto gasped in shock and was frozen stiff at the response he received from the old man. _'T-The Kyuubi was sealed into m-me?'_ His eyes began to tear up and his body shook with the sobs and little bursts of breath he released. "So then…the reason why the village doesn't like me…is because the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into me?" His eyes widened in fear and he turned to the Hokage in panic. "Does that make me the fox?!" he sobbed out.

Hiruzen quickly moved to Naruto and pulled the young boy into a reassuring hug. "No Naruto, you are not the fox… You are its prison and it is your prisoner. Think of it like money held tight within your toad like wallet."

Naruto in response pulled out his wallet, which he affectionately named "Gama-chan", and stared intently at it. "So…I'm still me? I'm still human?"

Hiruzen gave him a warm smile and answered, "Yes Naruto… You are still human and are most certainly still you."

Naruto hugged the Sandaime with crying eyes and wept while Hiruzen whispered soothing words to him. After some time, Naruto removed himself from the old man and asked, "Why me, Jiji? Why did the Yondaime choose me?"

Hiruzen mentally cursed at the fact that Naruto was not yet ready, at least in his opinion, to hear the full truth. So, he decided to give the boy reassurance with a _part_ of the truth. "He chose you because he must have seen something in you that made him have faith that you would succeed in life. You were made into the Kyuubi Jinchuriki so that you could be a hero to the village."

"Jinchuriki…?"

"It means 'human sacrifice', and you are not the only Jinchuriki in the world, Naruto. In fact, there are eight others out there who are Jinchuriki as well."

"Really? Do you think I'll be able to meet them all?"

"Maybe someday, Naruto…"

Naruto gave a small smile at that thought before he remembered something. "You said that I was made a Jinchuriki in hopes of being a hero… Why do the villagers not like me then?"

Sarutobi sighed sadly at the question. "Many people find it very difficult to let go of past tragedies that they have experienced… The Kyuubi killed many people, Naruto, and the families of the ones who died still mourn their deaths. I'm sure that, given time, the villagers will see you for who you were meant to be."

Naruto gave a small smile and hugged his grandfather figure one last time. "Thanks Jiji…"

"No problem, Naruto. I'm just sorry that you were unaware of the reason for the villagers' dislike for you until now…" He then looked back to the bulge in Naruto's pocket and asked, "By the way, what's that in your pocket?"

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed before he happily pulled out the ocarina. "I got this from one of the vendors down there after a played a song for him with it! Isn't it awesome?"

Hiruzen motioned to have a better look and Naruto complied with his smile still in place. The Sandaime looked closely at the instrument and checked the condition it was in. _'For a small wind instrument, it is still in very good condition…'_ He then noticed something hidden within the orange painting of one of the leaves adorning the ocarina. _'A seal… And not just any seal. This is a durability seal which was meant to increase an object's resistance to breaks or other types of damage. Naruto must be really lucky to have gotten an instrument like this for no charge.'_

After Naruto was handed back the instrument, he put it back in his pocket and asked, "Hey Jiji, do you think the library has any knowledge on places outside of the village?"

The old man raised a brow at the unexpected question. "I'm sure it does, but why do you ask?"

Naruto mentally panicked and frantically thought for an answer before Uta came to his aid. _"Listen Naruto, I want you to repeat after me…"_

"I want to know because I want to have an early start on my studies before I become a ninja and get missions outside of Konoha. 'Knowledge is Power', right Jiji?"

Hiruzen chuckled in response and answered, "Indeed it is, Naruto… I'm sure you'll find info on what you're looking for in the library. Study hard, Naruto. After all, I was named the 'Professor' of Konoha due to my vast knowledge I attained through rigorous study."

Naruto nodded enthusiastically and replied, "You bet, Jiji! I'll study hard, get stronger, and become the greatest ninja ever, dattebayo!"

The redhead then ran out of the office in determination, making the Sandaime shake his head with a smile. He then turned his gaze to the portrait of the Yondaime and commented, "He's definitely your son, Minato; yours _and_ Kushina's. I'm sure that, wherever you reside, you're smiling down at him."

Back with Naruto, he was rushing through the streets on his way to the library before he accidentally bumped into a person, knocking him down due to his smaller size. "Ah, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention…" he apologized before looking to see who he had bumped into.

The person he bumped into was a woman of about 5'8" with dark brown hair and bright green eyes. She wore a dark blue kimono top over a mesh shirt, dark brown pants, and black ninja sandals. What Naruto really noticed was the fact that her left arm from the elbow down was replaced with a prosthetic limb.

The woman looked down at the boy who had bumped into her and gasped at what she saw. Spiky hair, red in color, adorned his head and he had bright amethyst eyes plus the facial structure that reminded her of an old friend of hers. _'No… No it couldn't be…'_

"Uh… Again, I'm really sorry for bumping into you, but I really need to get going!" Naruto said nervously before he took off running again.

The woman stared at his back and saw the red spiral stitched to his clothing, making her eyes widen in shock. "I can't believe it…" she whispered. "I thought he was dead… Naruto…" She quickly went after him in hopes of finding him again. "Naruto... I won't lose you again."

(End)

There's chapter 2 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! Who do you think this mysterious woman is?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: Heritage! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	3. Chapter 3: Heritage

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

"_Uta's Speech"_

'_Thought/Mental Speech'_

"**Bijuu Speech"**

'_**Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 3: Heritage

"Let's see… Where are the scrolls on places outside Konoha?" asked Naruto to himself as he perused the library. The young redhead had decided to heed the Hokage's words and begin studying in hopes of increasing his intelligence levels. The boy mainly wished to read on what life was like out of the village, preferably in the other Hidden Villages.

Uta, who had manifested an eye from her necklace form, helped her friend look through the many shelves for the scrolls he was looking for. It wasn't until her eye saw an interesting sigil on a scroll that she spoke. _"Naruto, grab that one with the golden symbol."_

Naruto turned his sights to the scroll she saw and studied the design of the sigil. It was three triangles placed ironically in a triangle formation with a yin-yang symbol in the space between them. The Uzumaki opened the scroll and read the title of its contents. "_The Songs of Heroes_… Wonder what this is…" As he read, he saw the notes for a total of seven songs that were meant to be performed with a wide mix of instruments; however, the main instrument needed was a wind one, like Naruto's ocarina. His eyes focused on the first one and widened in surprised. "This is the same song that I played to get my ocarina… Uta-chan, how did I know this song?"

The musical creature formed in front of him in order to get a better look at the notes. _"I guess the information Kami-sama had me give you had that song with it… Although, I have no idea why she wants you to know it…"_

Naruto looked through the other song notes, memorizing their titles and styles, and he was intrigued that they were actually used in battle. He remembered that when he played the _Minuet of the Forest_, the leaves were picked up by the wind and carried through the air. He didn't know he could've accidentally harmed someone.

The songs were: _Minuet of the Forest_, Bolero_ of Fire_, _Serenade of Water_, _Nocturne of Shadow_, _Requiem of Spirit_, _Prelude to Light_, and _Melody of the Relics_. The scroll explained how each had significant importance based on their respective titles.

_Minuet of Forest_ gifted the performer with the power of wind and leaves. The song was able to create gusts, wind streams, and even small tornadoes that were controlled through the performer's will.

_Bolero of Fire_ allowed the performer to conjure flames from seemingly nowhere and utilize them in a variety of ways. Fireballs, waves of flame, and even simple embers were able to be made and used if the song was played correctly.

_Serenade of Water_ granted the performer to summon moisture from any source and use it in battle. They could conjure up waves, whirlpools, and also allow the player to stay underneath water for extended periods of time.

_Nocturne of Shadow_ was a slightly darker song that allowed the performer to utilize the shadows of themselves or other sources; much like the shadow-using Nara Clan was able to. However, a note said that, if the performer was not careful, the shadows could turn on them and roam free.

_Requiem of Spirit_ was mainly a supportive song. The performer was gifted with musical genjutsu as well as various forms of healing jutsu. There was a note next to the song just like its shadowy counterpart. If played on a 'certain day', the song allowed the spirits of the departed temporary stay in the mortal plane.

_Prelude to Light_ was a song that surprisingly was not as the name implied. It was a genjutsu-based song that affected the sense of time to those who heard it; so long as the performer wished for it to happen.

Lastly, the _Song of the Relics_ was strange to the redhead Jinchuriki. The notes that explained the purpose of the song were smeared away, but the musical notes were perfectly intact. Naruto was a little unsure about actually playing the song, but he felt that he would never sate his curiosity over it if he did not try.

Uta knew the meaning of the last song; however she stayed quiet since she wanted her friend to discover its secret. It didn't stop her from smiling and giggling at the sight of it, though.

Naruto pocketed the scroll and was about to continue his search before he saw Uta suddenly transform back into her necklace form in a slight panic. _'Is everything alright, Uta-chan?'_

"_Someone's coming to your our location, Naruto. I had to hide or else they would see my real form."_

Naruto mentally nodded before he turned his attention to the person arriving. It surprised him that it was the woman he bumped into earlier, but then he figured that she was probably there to scold him and call him out on holding the Kyuubi. He sighed sadly and mentally prepared himself for the tongue lashing he was bound to receive.

Surprisingly to him, there was none and she spoke calmly to him. "Hello there. I believe we had a little run-in earlier, right?"

Naruto could only look to her in surprise for a few seconds before he snapped out of his shock. "Uh, yea we did… Sorry about that."

The woman chuckled and replied, "No need to apologize. I'm actually glad you _did_ run into me, y'know."

"You are? Why's that?"

She bent down so that she was eye level with him and took a good look at him, while making the boy nervous in the process. _'Amazing… He looks so much like you and Minato, Kushina-chan… I can't believe it took me this long to find him.'_ She then ruffled his hair affectionately with a smile before she stood up. "Come walk with me, Naruto," she said, surprising him that she knew his name.

He was hesitant at first, but Uta assured him that she would help him escape if need be. He followed the woman through the streets, while ignoring the glaring villagers, and into one of the training fields. When she stopped, she took a seat next to the river that ran through the field and patted the spot next to her. He slowly complied before he asked, "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The woman was silent for a few seconds, thinking of how to respond, before she just sighed and decided to go for it. "My name is Reina Kōkai, and I was a friend of your parents, Naruto."

"M-My parents…?" he asked in shock.

She nodded. "Yes, I knew your mother when we were children and met your father when he and your mother began dating. Your mother and I were friendly rivals during our Genin years and we calmed down when we became Chunin." She gave him a warm smile before continuing, "It still amazes me that you look so much like them, Naruto…"

The redhead fidgeted slightly before he asked quietly, "What were their names?"

Her smile turned sad and she turned her gaze to her reflection in the river before answering. "…Your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki. She was a native of Uzushiogakure before she moved to Konoha to become a Genin. Like you, she had red hair and purple eyes, plus she had a spitfire attitude that I'm sure you have."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before he turned serious. "…And my father?"

"…Your father, Naruto, was Minato Namikaze…the Yondaime Hokage."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock before tears started coming to his eyes and he shook his head furiously. "No… No he can't be! IT HAS TO BE A LIE! NO FATHER WOULD CURSE HIS OWN SON!"

Reina immediately grabbed the saddened boy in a warm embrace and whispered soothing words to him. He thrashed for a while as she held him before he succumbed to his tears and clung to the woman. As he cried, Reina had a stray tear leave her eye and she thought, _'Minato… Your son truly has suffered by your hands… But I know you had no choice. I just hope that your reasons are justified, otherwise I'll kick your ass when I die.'_

After some time, Naruto finally calmed down enough to be released from the embrace. He wiped his eyes before he gave a dead stare to his liquid reflection. "…Why me? Why did…tou-san seal the Kyuubi into me?"

Reina shook her head and replied, "I honestly have no real idea… I have some, but they lack any significant evidence. But ask yourself: could you ask another to give up their child when you wouldn't give up your own, Naruto?"

Naruto stayed silent as he thought over the question while Uta emitted a warm aura from her necklace form in hopes of consoling him. "No… I don't think I could…" He then thought of something and asked, "If my father died due to the sealing, how did kaa-chan die?"

"Your mother confided in me many things while we grew up together, and I did the same for her. One of the things she told me was that she was a Jinchuriki; just as you are now."

That surprised Naruto. "Which one did she carry?"

"The Kyuubi… Your mother held the fox before you did. However, her seal holding back the fox grew weaker as you began developing inside her. Her energy went to helping you instead of holding back the fox, which resulted in it breaking free when you were born. I can only assume that she died in childbirth…" She saw Naruto look depressed and guilty, making her frown slightly. "It is not your fault, Naruto."

"How is it _not_ my fault? If kaa-chan never had me, then she-"

He was stopped by a smack to his head. While holding his head in pain, he turned his gaze to Reina's tearful one. "Don't you _dare_ finish that, Naruto! Kushina-chan would never have wanted to exchange your life for hers! When she was pregnant with you, she was the happiest I had ever seen her in her entire life!" She pulled him in for another hug before she continued, "She loved you, Naruto… She loved you so much that she was willing to die for you. So, don't you _ever_ think otherwise, okay?"

He nodded as he was let go before he gave her a nervous look. "What about tou-san? Did he love me too?"

She smiled to him and ruffled his hair again. "Yea, the baka loved you almost as much as Kushina-chan did. He always went off on random rants on how he'd teach you when you were old enough."

Naruto gave a small chuckle at the thought of the revered Yondaime spouting off like a fool about him. "Reina…?"

"Yes Naruto?"

"Thank you… I've wanted to know about my parents for so long, and you told me so much about them…" He then gave her a wide, foxy grin and said, "I'll never forget this, Reina-nee!"

The brunette looked surprised at the title before she smiled fondly. _'Nee-chan, huh? I guess I would have seen him as a little brother anyway… Still, I'm glad that he is taking this so well.'_

Naruto soon noticed that the sun had almost set and was surprised at how quickly time had passed by. A thought then came to him as he kept going over what Reina told him. _'Uta-chan, could I show you to Reina-nee?'_

The musical creature was surprised at the question, but she knew why he asked. This woman had done more for him than anyone had ever done before; even Kami-sama. She had restored the boy's hope in his late family as well as his hope for the future. _"I see no reason not to, Naruto-kun,"_ she replied, ignoring the suffix she added.

Naruto smiled and was about to show Reina, but she beat him to it by saying, "There's one more thing, Naruto… Your mother asked me to…be your godmother when you were born."

"What?" he asked in shock.

"I was excited when she asked me to, but after the Kyuubi attack and hearing of the deaths of Minato and Kushina-chan, I thought you had died as well… It was actually luck that had us meet since I was only here for the Day of Lost Souls. I was planning on visiting the Memorial Stone so that I could talk to them."

Naruto was once again silent, and it worried Reina since she was hoping that he wouldn't be angry at the fact that she was not there for him. Judging by the ragged and worn out clothes, she assumed he was living poorly and she blamed herself for not being there. Surprisingly, he looked to her with a small smile and hugged her.

"Then I'm glad that I was lucky enough to bump into you, Reina-nee."

Reina gave a smile as well before she glomped him, crushing the poor boy into her C-Cup chest. "Oh, I'm so glad that you aren't mad at me, Naru-chan!" she gushed.

"N-Nee-chan…air!" Naruto managed to get out during the death grip.

"Oops!" she exclaimed before letting him go. As he sat in a daze, she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Sorry about that. I guess I don't know my own strength…"

Naruto shook out of his daze and waved off her apology before he took off his necklace. "Nee-chan, I wanna show you something; something that I want you to keep a secret."

She eyed the necklace and saw it as a simple thing before she felt a peculiar presence coming from it. "Is something sealed in there?"

"No… This necklace is just a disguise; watch."

The pendant on the chain glowed bright green before it took the silhouette of a small humanoid figure. Before Reina's eyes, she saw Uta in full view floating next to Naruto.

"Nee-chan, I want you to meet Uta-chan. She's a friend that was given to me."

"Given to you by whom exactly? And what is she?"

"_I am a being created by Kami-sama herself to be Naruto-kun's friend and partner. I'm glad that there is someone from his family that he has met already."_

The creature's words threw Reina for a loop, so Uta explained everything that happened the night she and Naruto met. "So let me get this straight, you were gifted to him," a nod, "he has gained some much needed knowledge and seeks more about life out of Konoha," another nod, "and he wants to find and help the other three Uzumaki?"

"Yes, I do. Even if they're distant, they're still my family and I will do anything to help them."

The brunette closed her eyes and sighed before she shrugged and stated, "Well, it's not the weirdest thing I've seen or heard of. It's nice to meet ya, Uta-san."

"_And it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Reina-san,"_ replied Uta.

The sun had finally set on them and a bell had rung from the village, signifying the start of the festival. "Well Naru-chan, I guess we better head back. We'll visit your parents before we go see the Hokage."

"Why are going to see Jiji?" asked the redhead in confusion, making Reina smirk.

"There's something I wanna talk about with the old monkey. Now c'mon, we're burning nightlight!" she said as she made her way back to the village with Naruto and Uta in tow. _'If this works out, your goals should be a lot easier Naru-chan,'_ she thought as she led her godson/little brother.

In his office, Hiruzen felt a small shiver go down his spine. _'I have a bad feeling about tonight… Yet I have no idea why…'_

(End)

There's chapter 3 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: The Festival and a Deal! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	4. Chapter 4: Festival and Deal

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

_"Uta's Speech"_

_'Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

**'_Bijuu Thoughts'_**

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 4: Festivals and Deals

The streets of Konoha were abuzz with happy civilians enjoying the festivities offered by the Day of Lost Souls. Children were running around with small hand-kites and wearing animal themed masks for the occasion.

Naruto watched in slight envy at how carefree the other kids were. He wished he could enjoy the festivities, but he knew that the villagers wouldn't let him. Reina saw her godson's depressed look and scowled at how he was treated. Even now, adults were keeping their children away from the young Uzumaki and it made her blood boil.

_'That old monkey is gonna pay for how Naru-chan was treated,'_ she thought while leaking a small amount of killing intent, scaring some of the villagers.

She led Naruto through the streets to the famed Memorial Stone of Konoha before she unsealed some incense before she lit it with a match. Placing it in front of the stone, she knelt down and brought her hands together for a small prayer while Naruto watched, unsure of what to do.

_"You know, you could say a prayer for your parents, Naruto-kun,"_ Uta suggested to her friend. _"I'm sure that they would be happy to hear you speak to them."_

_'I don't know what to say to them, though… I mean I never really knew them and have lived alone for so long…'_

The musical creature turned into her true form and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. _"Just speak from your heart, Naruto-kun. Whatever you say, I'm sure they'll gladly listen."_

Naruto stood in a fidgeting stance, hesitant about actually praying for his parents before an idea came to him. "Uta-chan, I want to play them a song," he said as he turned to her. "Will you help me play for them?"

She smiled before she turned into a small green harp with snow white strings. _"Of course I will."_

Naruto smiled as well before he pulled out his ocarina and thought of a song to play. Meanwhile, Reina watched with a soft smile on her face and thought to herself, _'It may be slow, but he is trying to cope with who he is. I just hope that one day he will truly accept his heritage.'_

Back with the redhead, he was still thinking of a good song to play before Uta suggested, _"Naruto-kun, remember that song called _Requiem of Spirit_ that you saw in that scroll?"_

"Yea…?"

_"Remember how it said that it could be used on a 'certain day'?"_ she continued, making him have a proverbial light bulb go off in his head. When he nodded, she started to play before Naruto chimed in with his ocarina.

(For this part, play _Requiem of Spirit_ continuously)

As the two played the gentle melody, Reina noticed Naruto unconsciously emit chakra and send it into the sound waves of the music. The chakra enhanced sound filled the area and continued on into the village, slowly bringing the activities to a halt in favor of listening to the sound.

Soon, the clouds in the night sky began to swirl together before small spheres of light began to float from the heavens. The lights spread throughout the village streets and stayed levitated over the heads of the villagers before they all took forms of the loved ones that they had lost. The people looked on in awe as the spirits of their loved ones offered gentle smiles and offered words of love, support, and gratitude, bringing many civilians to joyful tears.

In the Uchiha Compound, the Uchiha Massacre survivor, Sasuke, stood in shock at the sight of his parents and other members of the clan surrounding him with warm smiles. His eyes watered as his mother bent down to him and opened her arms for an embrace. Sasuke quickly ran to her and tried to embrace her, but he couldn't since she was made of chakra.

"Sasuke-kun," said Mikoto with a sad smile. "I want you to be brave for me. I want you to grow and get stronger." The clan members stepped closer together right behind her as she finished, "We believe in you, Sasuke-kun."

The last Uchiha nodded with tears streaming down his face before the Uchiha all disappeared into the night wind. He wiped the tears from his eyes before he looked up in determination. "I will get stronger, and I will make you proud kaa-san. I will avenge you and make Itachi pay for what he's done."

Back with Naruto, he was lost in his own world as he continued to play. In fact he was so caught into the melody that he didn't notice Uta stop playing with him and revert back to her true form. She looked to the sky to see if any of the lights would come to her friend, but none came. She sighed sadly at this and whispered, _"I hope that you have the chance to see your parents at least once in your life, Naruto-kun; even if it can't be today."_

(End Music)

Finally, Naruto slowed the melody to a halt and the lights of the dearly departed all vanished into wisps in the wind. Many of the villagers still had fresh tears in their eyes before they slowly went back to the festivities; though it wasn't as enthusiastic now.

Naruto himself turned to the Memorial Stone and gave a low bow to it. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I just want to let you two know that I love you and I forgive tou-san for putting Kyuubi into me. Kaa-chan, I also thank you for giving birth and life to me and I'm sorry we couldn't have a life together as a family. Yasuraka ni nemuru (Rest in peace)."

After his prayer, Reina gently led him back through the village and to the Hokage's Office. She had _plenty_ to discuss with Sarutobi.

Kage Office

While the people of Konoha were able to witness the spectacle of seeing the spirits of their loved ones, the Sandaime was using this time to get ahead on his paperwork. So far, he had taken down over half of it and hoped to get the other half by the end of the festivities. He smirked to himself at finally get one over the damn stacks of papers.

Just as he was about to pick up another form, he felt an ungodly level of killer intent heading to his office; so much so that his ANBU revealed themselves and stood protectively in front of their Kage. The doors to his office were suddenly blown off their hinges and they smashed into the masked shinobi, rendering them unconscious.

"We need to have a little _talk_, old man," said a voice so familiar to Hiruzen that he paled in fear.

_'Oh sweet Kami-sama, please don't let it be _her_!'_ he thought in panic only to have his hopes shot down when Reina stepped in followed by an awed Naruto.

"Wow nee-chan… You were awesome! You completely kicked four ANBU's asses!" he praised making her rub the back of her head sheepishly and stop the flow of her killer intent.

"You really think so?" she asked bashfully.

"Definitely! I wanna kick ass like you someday!"

She glomped him at that and gushed, "Aw~! My little Naru-chan wants to be like his nee-chan! Don't worry gaki; I'll be sure to teach you everything I know!"

Naruto frantically called out for air, making her drop him in panic, while Hiruzen sweat-dropped and mentally mused, _'I wonder if I should use this chance to escape?'_

As if knowing his intentions, Reina threw a kunai at his desk, nearly hitting the old Kage's hand. "Don't even think about leaving, you old monkey. I have a few bones to pick with you."

Sarutobi gulped and shakily motioned her and Naruto to a seat in front of his desk. "What is it you wished to speak to me about, Reina-san?"

"I want to know why I was never told of Naruto being alive! I've visited this village every year, on this exact day, and I never once saw him or heard of him until today! You could have sent a message to me or called me to meet him whenever I visited! Why didn't you?" she yelled, each sentence making the Hokage sink slightly lower in his seat.

"W-We never knew of your exact location and you never really let me know when you were visiting," he weakly offered.

"Your shinobi could have told you! You could have had them search for me also! It's not like I wouldn't have come to see you if you called for me!" she shot back, defeating his argument. "Next question: why is it that Naru-chan is dressed in rags, has no friends except for one, and lives in the Red Light District? Surely he should be able to live in his family estate!"

He winced at her description of Naruto's current living and social conditions and mentally wondered who the single friend that the redhead had was. "He is dressed poorly and lives in the Red Light District because no one is willing to allow him into a better apartment," he admitted, making Reina clench her fists and crack her knuckles. "The reason he has only one friend is because the adults don't want their children associating with the 'Kyuubi child'."

"Who was the idiot that told them he held the fox?!" she raged before seeing complete regret in his eyes. "You told them… You told the whole damn village of his burden?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I had to tell them something!" he yelled back. "The village was full of fear and grief and they needed to be calmed after the Kyuubi's attack. The Yondaime sacrificed himself and the fox just disappeared before their eyes, causing them to become paranoid."

"So, for their sake, you basically threw Naruto to the wolves and told them he held the Kyuubi?! Minato did not sacrifice his life, or that of his family's, just to have you fuck it up, Hiruzen!"

"Reina, Naruto doesn't know of-"

"Of what? That his father is the Yondaime? That he was given his burden by his own parent while the other died because of the fox? If any of those were the end to your statement, then they are both already known to him."

Sarutobi looked shocked at that and turned to the redhead, only to see Naruto looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Naruto, you have to understand that I couldn't tell you for your own protection."

"How is not knowing who my parents are 'protection'? You could have told me to keep it a secret, old man! All these years I asked you who they were, you just lied to my face and said that you didn't know! Do you know how that feels, knowing the person you trusted most was lying to you your whole life?!" screamed the Uzumaki while unconsciously calling upon the fox's youki, changing his eyes from amethyst to blood red with black slit pupils.

For the first time in his long life as a shinobi, Hiruzen truly felt his age catch up to him. He felt like an old man with many regrets, but not enough time to correct them. "Naruto…I am truly sorry for all that has happened to you. I wish I could make it up to you somehow…"

"You can," said Reina with a look of pure professionalism on her visage. "I want full custody of Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure," she declared making the others widen their eyes in surprise.

"N-Nee-chan…you'd really adopt me?" he ask with hesitant hope.

She turned to him with a gentle smile and nodded. "Of course I would. You're all I have left in this world, Naru-chan. Plus, I think your parents would be happy with me adopting you."

She suddenly had to brace herself as a redheaded bullet crashed into her and hugged her tight. "Thank you…" she heard him whisper with a few sobs following.

She smiled once more and turned to the Sandaime. "I'm waiting on those forms, Hiruzen. I won't be denied my right as his godmother," she stated dangerously. "No one, not even those old crones on the Council is going to stop me from gaining custody."

Hiruzen nodded and searched for a copy of adoption forms with a small smile on his face. _'With this, I can finally start righting all of the wrongs done to him,'_ he thought with his smile growing.

When he handed her the forms, she immediately filled them out and signed them before Sarutobi stamped them with his Kage Seal. "Good; now that that's done with, I'm gonna take Naruto with me on a little trip, Sarutobi."

He raised a brow in confusion. "But what about his time in the Academy? He won't be able to sign up if he isn't here."

"Please, like those teachers will even take the time to teach him anything. Think of it this way, with me he'll get the best kind of training there us _plus_ some out-of-village experience, _and_ I'll be sure to give you reports of his growth every three months," she offered.

"And how long will this trip be, Reina-san?"

"I'd estimate around six years. That way when he returns, he'll be the same age as his would-be graduating class, and he'll easily be at, if not above, their level."

"Six years is far too long for him to be away from the village! The most I could do is three years, and then he must come back. You can continue teaching him for the other three years while he goes to the Academy and gets the chance to make friends his own age."

"Do you think the public opinion of him will be better after three years?" she asked with narrowed eyes as she repositioned a now sleeping Uzumaki.

"I can't guarantee it, but I will try my best and gather support from the Clan Heads," he offered.

Reina was silent as she held Naruto and thought it over. It honestly wasn't a bad deal, but she still had doubts about the village's opinion after three years abroad. But still, it was better than having him stay here the whole time. "Alright Hiruzen, you've got a deal. I'll take him with me for three years then bring him back. By that time, I expect him to have access to his family estate, library, and a better public opinion; otherwise I'll take what belongs to him and leave with him. And you know for a fact that I will be in my right to do so."

Hiruzen mentally flinched at that since he knew she was right. Until Naruto legally became a shinobi of the village, he was able to leave without a problem. And since he has entitled possessions from his clan, he has the right to take them with him without any consequences.

"Deal," he said as he shook her hand and wrote down the parameters of their deal and both parties signed it. After stamping it, he bid farewell and good luck to Reina as she left with Naruto to prepare for their three year trip. _'I hope this works, or else Konoha will lose its hero.'_

(End)

There's chapter 4 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: The First Three Years plus the Council's reaction! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	5. Chapter 5: Year One

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

AN1: I don't know if you guys noticed, but a few weeks ago I put up a poll for the pairing of the story. The winning choice was Naruto with Uta and Midna. I decided to go ahead and add Fuu and Zelda for Naruto anyway! I hope you guys like my decision!

AN2: Sorry for not updating last week. It was Spring Break and I was stuck working full time, leaving no time to type...

So the pairing is Naruto x Uta/Midna/Fuu/Zelda.

"Speech"

_"Uta's Speech"_

_'Thought/Mental Speech'_

"**Bijuu Speech"**

'_**Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 5: Year One

The morning after the Day of Lost Souls and Reina's meeting with the Sandaime, she and Naruto were seen walking away from the main gates of Konoha. She had wasted no time in getting her godson ready for his three year trip, and the first thing she did was get him a new wardrobe.

The young Uzumaki now wore black ninja sandals, maroon cargo pants, and a black shirt with the Uzu Swirl over his heart in orange. On his right palm was a small storage seal that held his ocarina and Uta's necklace form rested around his neck. All-in-all, he looked like a young shinobi instead of a poor civilian.

As the two traveled down the road away from the village, Naruto asked, "So nee-chan, where are we going first?"

"Well, we have three years before you have to come back and enter the Academy. I plan to take you to some of the smaller countries that I've seen during my own travels as well as take you to the Uzu Ruins. I figured that you should see your ancestral home at least once in your life."

"Alright! So, which place first?"

Reina gave him a small smirk and said, "We're going to head to the small country of Tasogare no Kuni (Land of Twilight)."

Konoha Council Chambers

It surprised Hiruzen how quickly the councils had called a meeting after he saw Naruto and Reina off. It hadn't even been two hours before he was told of a meeting by Anna and he left his office for it.

As he took his seat, he saw the Clan Heads of Konoha -barring the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki Clans- take their seats followed by the Civilian Council members and the three Elders of Konoha. Once everyone was seated, he called the meeting to order and allowed them to proceed.

The first one to stand was Danzo, a war hawk of a man who saw emotions as nuisances to shinobi. He had a darker view of 'the good of the village' than anyone in the room and tried many times to get Naruto into his ROOT program. "Sarutobi, what's this I hear of Naruto Uzumaki leaving the village with an unknown woman?"

"You must think yourself highly if you're addressing Hokage-sama in such a manner," commented Tsume Inuzuka. "Who do you think you are, Danzo?"

"I am a man who cares for Konoha and all of its assets," he replied smoothly.

"Troublesome… As much as I feel that his wording was disrespectful, I too am curious as to why Uzumaki-san has left, Hokage-sama," said Shikaku Nara.

"Naruto has left with his godmother for three years of training before he is to return and enter the Academy. She had every right to leave with him as his legal guardian," answered the Hokage.

"Reina; as in Reina Kōkai?" asked Inoichi Yamanaka. "I thought she had retired years ago?"

"She is retired, but she still visits during the Lost Soul Festival. She met Naruto yesterday and discovered him to be her supposedly dead godson. She then came to my office where I granted her custody of the boy."

"Is that really wise, Hokage-sama?" asked Homura. "After all, she wasn't a Konoha shinobi to start with."

"Neither was Kushina Uzumaki," retorted Tsume. She and Mikoto Uchiha were friends of the redhead and Reina. "Still, those two were irreplaceable kunoichi who served Konoha well. If there's any lace safe enough for the little pup, Reina is his best bet. After all, she was the only one to truly match Kushina when they were Jonin."

"Indeed… Reina-san is the most logical choice to have young Uzumaki-san stay with. It also fits him with her being his godmother," commented Shibi Aburame.

"You keep saying she's his godmother, but on whose authority was she appointed that position?" asked Koharu with slightly narrowed eyes. Out of all the Elders, she was the only one who actually sided with the boy and saw him as a person. Danzo saw him as a weapon while Homura saw him as an annoyance.

"Kushina Uzumaki named her friend Reina to be the godmother of her son, Naruto Uzumaki. She also appointed her as his guardian should she and her husband die. Seeing as that has happened, Reina Kōkai is now responsible for Naruto Uzumaki," stated Sarutobi as he handed the legal documents stating so to the Clan Heads.

Hiashi Hyuuga was the first to grab the documentation and read it thoroughly before he nodded and passed it along. "It all seems to be in order. I assume that young Uzumaki knows of his heritage as well, Hokage-sama?"

"You would be correct, Hiashi-san. Naruto is fully aware of both his burden as well as whom his parents are."

"And who would the _boy's_ parents be?" asked Danzo with restrained anger. All his plans to get the Uzumaki into his ROOT were going down the drain and he was pissed.

"Before I divulge that information, the Civilian Council is to leave."

"And why aren't we allowed to hear this?" screeched one of the Civilian Council members by the name of Sakoto Haruno. "We are of this Council, so we should be just as privileged to hear this," she said with narrowed eyes while the other members slowly stood up.

"This is a _shinobi_ matter," commented Chouza Akamichi. "Since you are not shinobi, you do not need to know of this."

Sakoto grit her teeth in anger before she stormed out of the chambers with the rest of the Civilian Council. Once they were gone, Hiruzen wasted no time and declared, "Naruto Uzumaki is the son of Kushina Uzumaki and her husband, Minato Namikaze; otherwise known as our Yondaime Hokage. They were wed in secret with only myself, my still loyal students, and the Fire Daimyo who wed them."

The whole room was left in silent shock at the revelation before the silence was cut by Tsume's laughter. "I knew she'd snag the poor guy eventually!" she said with a feral grin. "Kushina always had a thing for Minato."

"Indeed. Well, now that you know, this fact is to remain a secret under SS-Rank. Any utterance of this to those who do not know of it will result in, not only your death, but a serious blow to your financial and social standings. Am I understood?" asked the Sandaime with a cold glare that sent shivers throughout the room. Once everyone acknowledged the order, Hiruzen nodded and ended the meeting.

Unknown to him, Danzo had ordered some members of his ROOT to follow and observe Naruto and Reina.

Tasogare no Kuni (2 weeks later)

While Reina walked through the small town with a calm face, Naruto couldn't help but be amazed at how different the people in this one small place looked.

The citizens, who Reina had informed were named Twili, had fiery orange hair, pale skin with dark tribal markings on their arms and legs, and red eyes with yellow sclera. What made the genders easier to determine was that the women of the village had a slight blue tint to their pale skin while the men had a slight red one.

"These people look different but kinda cool, nee-chan," Naruto said to her quietly so as not to offend. Some Twili still heard and merely gave the boy small smiles at his innocent nature.

Reina chuckled as she led him to a hotel. "Yea they are, Naruto-kun. The Twili are an easygoing people who have always kept to themselves. Sure, they may help here and there, but they mainly let outside situations handle themselves."

"How do you know of this place? If they kept to themselves, wouldn't they have wanted you to keep away?"

"Actually young man, we happily welcome outsiders," came a kind, womanly voice from behind the duo. Naruto turned to see an adult Twili woman and a young Twili girl standing before them.

"Mika-sama, good to see you again," Reina greeted. "And look at you, Midna-chan! You've really grown since I last saw you!"

Mika gave a kind smile while Midna glared at Reina and stuck out her tongue. "At least I won't have to worry about becoming an old hag for a _long_ time, Reina," she retorted.

Naruto stifled a chuckle while Reina had a tic mark on her forehead. "What was that, brat?"

"You heard me!"

"Midna-chan, enough," ordered Mika. "Reina and her companion are our guests here, so you will show them respect."

The girl huffed and crossed her arms before she murmured her consent. She then looked to the redhead before her eyes flashed and Naruto heard a voice in his head say, "So, why are you here?"

Naruto was surprised at that before he took note of Midna's smirk. "Hey, that was cool! How'd you do that?"

"Do what?" she asked back innocently.

"Midna, what have I told you about 'mind speaking' without one's consent?" admonished Mika.

Midna looked down in shame as she answered, "To not do so, kaa-chan."

Naruto, having not been offended, said, "It's okay, Mika-san. Midna-chan didn't do anything wrong. I thought it was kinda cool."

The girl looked to him in slight surprise while the two adults gave small chuckles at the exchange. "Well, if you say so- I'm sorry, I don't know your name?"

"Oh, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm on a trip with Reina-nee so that I could get stronger."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-san. I'm Mika Yoake, and this is my daughter Midna. Welcome to Tasogare no Kuni."

Naruto gave them a foxy grin and replied, "Thanks for letting us stay here."

Reina looked to the sky and saw that it was nearing dusk, so she turned to Mika and asked, "I'm hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble to let us stay crash at your place during our stay, Mika-sama?"

"Please Reina, just 'Mika'. Adding 'sama' makes me feel so old."

"But kaa-chan, you're the oldest one here. And you always tell me to 'respect my elders'," Midna said with a small smirk while Naruto snickered quietly.

Mika grew a tic mark before she motioned Reina and Naruto to follow them to their home.

2 Weeks Later (11 months left of the year)

"C'mon Naruto, you call that 'tree-climbing'?!" called out Reina as she watched the redhead perform the chakra exercise. He was slowly coming along, though his incredibly large reserves kept him from making a faster progress.

In the clearing watching him as well was Midna. She had always been interested in shinobi after she met Reina five years ago. Reina had actually helped the small village defend itself against a couple of missing nin who were looking for an 'easy steal'. The things she saw Reina do with chakra fascinated the young Twili.

Uta was watching as well, though she was invisible to all. She had turned into her true form to stretch her limbs as well as get a better view of her friend's training. She had yet to have him play the _Song of the Relics_, but she could wait. However, the young being's patience was slowly wearing out since she wanted him to play it soon. _'Tonight will work best,'_ she thought to herself.

Naruto had finally fallen for the tenth time before he just lied on the ground and caught his breath. He had been at it for over three hours straight and his boy was exhausted. "Hey nee-chan, how much longer do I have to do this?"

"Until you can run up and down that tree for an hour straight. Your reserves are incredibly high for your age, Naruto. So we need to put a higher focus on your chakra control, or else your ninjutsu training will suffer."

The boy sighed while Midna suddenly commented, "Will he be learning how to work with that second energy source of his too?"

"How do you know about that?" asked the Uzumaki.

"The Twili have a unique dojutsu known as the Kuraigan (Dark Eye) that allows them to see pieces of one's soul. She must have seen the fur ball's soul mixed with yours, Naruto," explained Reina.

"Fur ball? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Midna. As for your question, not for a long time, since he needs to master his own abilities before he focuses on his _other_ ones."

The girl pouted and muttered about 'secret keeping hags', making Reina bop her on the head. Naruto shook his head with a smile and went back to his training while Uta smiled at the scene.

That Night

Naruto stood before Uta, ocarina in hand, as she told him her request. "Are you sure about this, Uta-chan? I mean, the song had no description; just music notes."

_"Yes, I'm sure Naruto-kun. I know what that song is and I want you to play it for me."_

"Can you tell me before I play it? I want to know what we're getting into…"

_"The song is connected to Musical Beings, Naruto-kun. It affects their souls and how they associate with the world around them. That song will let me be able to actually be seen with you in a way that it won't be suspicious or strange."_

"So…it'll change you? But why do you want to change who you are, Uta-chan? I like you the way you are," he said sadly.

She smiled at his care and floated over to him before she embraced him. He hugged her back as she explained, _"I know you don't think people should be something they're not, but I won't be changing who I am. I'm merely changing what I look like. Think of it like how Reina-san made you change your clothes. You're still you; you just look different."_

Naruto nodded and let go of the greenette being before he raised his ocarina to his mouth. He gave her one last look, prompting a nod from her, before he began to play.

(Play _Relic Song_ from Pokémon)

The song was soft, yet it also had a mid-level tempo to it. Its sound filled the air around the clearing before it slowly spread into the village, making the Twili and Reina stop what they were doing to listen.

"What a beautiful melody…" commented Mika.

"That's Naruto playing on his ocarina. He really enjoys music and likes to play it for others' enjoyment," explained Reina.

Midna looked out the window towards the small forest surrounding the village and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the song. It was a pleasant sound that brought a smile to her face and she ran out of the house to listen to it better.

"Well, looks like Midna is a music lover herself," said Reina with a grin. "It makes you wonder if she'll make Naruto play more songs for her, doesn't it?"

"Indeed. It looks like Midna has found a potential friend in young Naruto."

Back with Naruto and Uta, the greenette was slowly engulfed in a bright light just as the song was ending before the light flashed throughout the clearing. Naruto had to close his eyes due to the intensity. When he opened them again, he was surprised at what had happened to his friend.

Midna had changed from a small humanoid-like creature to an actual human. She still had bright green hair that smoothly fell to her mid back, a heart shaped face with slightly pointed ears, and bright blue eyes. She stood just a couple inches shorter than Naruto and she wore a forest green dress that reached her knees, black sandals, and a blue choker with an emerald pendant on it in the shape of a pair of quarter notes.

She gave the shocked Naruto a warm smile before she spoke, "Well Naruto-kun, what do you think?" She did a small twirl for him before she held her hands behind her back.

The Uzumaki shook out of his surprise before he gave her a foxy grin with a thumbs-up. "You look amazing. I never thought you'd look this cute when I played the song."

The now human Uta blushed at his comment before she walked up to him and gave him a small hug. "I'm glad you feel that way, Naruto-kun," she said before she gave him a kiss on his cheek, making him blush.

Midna, who was hidden in a nearby brush, had a slight frown on her face when she saw the exchange between them. She was curious as to who the green haired girl was and what they meant by her 'change'. And for some strange reason, when Uta hugged the redhead, a small part of her wished she was in Uta's place.

The Twili girl shook herself out of those thoughts before she made her way back to the house. She's grill Naruto and Reina for answers later.

Three Months Later (8 months left of the year)

Naruto grumbled as he shakily stood above the water in the forest lake. He had master tree-climbing two months ago and was now working on mastering water-walking. It was incredibly difficult with the shifting 'ground' beneath him, but he was slowly getting the hang of it.

Reina watched her godson perform his exercises with a proud grin on her face. It may have been slow, but he was getting the hang of it fairly well. She turned her attention to her two other 'students' and saw them working on the tree-climbing exercise. It was a surprise when Uta showed up with Naruto in a human form, but after an explanation from the two she easily accepted it.

Midna had also bugged her and Naruto about Uta's identity before it was the greenette in question who had surprisingly explained who she was. Mika and Midna were shocked at the revelation, but they slowly accepted it as well as promised not to speak of it to anyone untrustworthy. The other Twili were able to be trusted, but they would still keep them out of it.

It was two months into Naruto's resumed training that the two girls asked Reina to teach them as well. While Reina had no problems teaching Uta, she had to ask Mika if it was alright with her. At first the woman was hesitant about her daughter exposing herself to danger, but she eventually accepted much to her daughter's joy.

So, while Naruto worked on the second level of chakra control, Reina had helped the two girls access their chakra better before she had them begin their control exercises. While Naruto already had the reserves of a high Jonin, Uta had high Genin reserves and Midna had low Chunin.

During the following three months (leaving five months left of the first year), Naruto had learned two of the three basic Academy jutsu while Uta and Midna had master water-walking and were learning the _Henge_. Naruto's chakra was so potent that his _Henge_ went past a simple illusion to that of an actual transformation. It was a surprise to the girls, but Reina knew his would do that since Kushina's was the same way.

Also as she expected, Naruto had no chance of learning the basic _Bunshin_ jutsu since his reserves were just too high. To remedy that, she taught him the _Mizu Bunshin_ and he only took a week to get it down. Uta had near perfect control after the water-walking and was able to reduce the usage of her chakra so that her techniques would barely scratch her reserves. Midna, having slightly higher reserves, had a bit of difficulty with the jutsu, but she was still able to get them down.

It wasn't until two months later that Reina had her students check their chakra affinities. Midna was unsurprisingly attuned to fire (Katon) and darkness (Inton), the two most common affinities of her people. Uta had affinities for wind (Fuuton) and earth (Doton). While the first was not that surprising since sound rode airwaves, the second was a little strange. Uta guessed that it was due to Kami making her an earth-bound being and Reina just went with that.

Naruto had an interesting result in his chakra paper. He had affinities for light (Yōton), darkness, and wind. It amazed as well as confused the Uzumaki before Reina explained that the Uzumaki all had unique chakra. Kushina's was unique in its ability to take the form of binding chains capable of holding even the Kyuubi down.

The next two months and three weeks were focused on helping them get a feel for their elemental affinities. For Naruto and Uta, they focused on their wind natures and practiced cutting leaves in half. Midna focused on her fire nature and tried to burn a leaf with her chakra. To help them with this, Reina had the three of them learn meditation to calm down and put all of their focus on the task at hand so that distractions would be easy to ignore.

During the final week, Reina allowed them to relax since she wanted to get ready for the next place they would travel to. Naruto was slightly sad that they would be leaving since Midna was nit going with them, but Mika surprised him by saying that she and her daughter would go visit Konoha around the time Naruto would return. That brought a smile to his face as well as Midna's.

During her time spent with the Uzumaki, the Twili girl had gained a small crush on the boy. His actions, determination, and trickster-like personality appealed to her and she liked spending time with him. Of course, she had a feeling that Uta felt the same since the greenette stuck to Naruto like white on rice. Still, the Twili was not planning on giving up or losing to the greenette.

At the end of the week, Reina, Naruto, and Uta bid the village goodbye before they began heading for their next destination…

Uzushiogakure in Uzu no Kuni.

(End)

There's chapter 5 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next chapter, I will post Reina's stats and abilities so that you guys can get a clue on how strong she is. *Kakashi-style thumbs-up*

Next Time: The Second Year! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	6. Chapter 6: Year Two

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

'_Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

**'_Bijuu Thoughts'_**

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 6: Year Two

"There it is, Naruto; the Ruins of Uzushiogakure," said Reina as she, her godson, and Uta stood on the deck of a small fishing boat. Reina paid the owner of the ship enough to buy a month's worth of supplies for passage to the outer waters of the small island.

"Wow… Even though it's nothing but rubble, it still feels like home for some reason," commented the redhead.

"Well, it _is_ the home of your ancestors, Naruto-kun," Uta said with a smile on her face.

"Well anyway, we won't be able to get any closer with this ship. Let me talk to the captain and we'll make our way to the shore," Reina stated before she left the two alone.

Naruto had a small smile as he kept his gaze on the island. _'So, this was kaa-chan's home… I wonder what secrets it holds.'_

"Naruto-kun," Uta called, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned to see his godmother and friend on the other side of the deck waving him over.

When he made his way to them, Reina jumped over the railings and flew through handseals before she called out, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" A large plume of smoke appeared under the woman before her summon was revealed from within.

The creature beneath Reina had an incredibly long, serpentine body covered in beautiful silver scales. At first Naruto mistook it for a snake when he saw the head, but then he noticed the set of feathered wings that the creature had and was left confused on the identity of the creature. Uta was confused as well since she had never seen a creature like the one Reina now stood on.

The woman smirked at their confused looks and turned her attention to her summoned partner. "It's been a long time hasn't it, Fiore-sama?"

**"Indeed it has,"** replied the creature with a feminine tone. **"Who are the hatchlings with you?"**

"They are my godson, Naruto, and his friend, Uta. I'm taking them to the Uzu Ruins so that Naruto could learn of his ancestry."

**"The lost island Uzu, huh? I must admit that I am intrigued at your choice of destination. Do you think the boy will be able to win over the trust lost partners of his people? They were known for their strict conditions for their summoners, after all."**

"If anyone can do it, he will be the one," Reina answered with no doubt in her voice.

"Hey nee-chan," called out the redhead. "What is that summon creature you're standing on? I've never seen something like that before."

"Its scales are beautiful," Uta added. "They have a brilliant sheen to them."

"This is Fiore-sama, and she's what is known as a couatl. They're winged serpents who branch off of the Snake Clans," stated Reina.

**"It's a pleasure to meet you both."**

"Nice to meet you too," Naruto replied with a foxy grin. "So, are we gonna ride Fiore to the island?"

"Yes, so get on you two. It shouldn't take too long to get there with Fiore-sama's help."

When the two jumped on Fiore, the winged serpent took to the skies and gracefully flew towards the island. The way she moved through the air was like she was swimming beneath the sea; fluid, smooth, and calm. It took less than ten minutes to reach the shore before Fiore landed and let her passengers off. After being thanked for the ride, she disappeared in a plume of smoke and the trio made way for the destroyed village.

While at a distance Naruto looked to the island in awe, up close was a different story. Only a scarce few buildings were remotely habitable while the rest of the village was nothing but rubble, dust, and overgrown vegetation. He sighed sadly at the sight before he felt two comforting hands on his shoulders. He looked back to see Reina and Uta giving him reassuring smiles and he gave a small one back.

"Don't worry so much, Naruto. I doubt that everything was destroyed. I'm sure that Uzu had an underground bunker or two where they held their secrets," Reina explained, making Naruto cheer up slightly.

"Alright then, let's start looking," he declared before he and the other two split up and began their search.

Reina looked through the buildings that weren't fully collapsed while Uta looked through some piles of rubble and Naruto made his way deeper into the village. The redhead kept walking down the rubble-filled streets in search of anything that looked remotely interesting. He felt something calling to him when he looked to the island from the ship. Now, he was looking for the source.

"C'mon, there has to be _something_ here…" he mumbled before he felt a shiver go down his spine and looked to a ruined statue that was missing the top half. All he could see from the statue was a pair of armor-covered legs and war boots. On one of the boots was a symbol like the one on the _Songs of Heroes_ scroll; three triangles in a triangle formation with a yin-yang symbol in the center. He took a closer look and felt his mind go fuzzy before he saw the yin-yang symbol slowly start to spin in a hypnotic way. The rest went dark after that.

Dreamscape

The redhead found himself standing within an open field with a large castle before him. It was raining and thunder roared across the skies before he saw the drawbridge leading inside the castle quickly open. A cloaked horse rider sped through the gates and moved past him, almost knocking him aside.

"Hey, watch it!" he called out, making the figure take a quick look back. Naruto narrowed his eyes and caught a glimpse of yellow eyes before the figure turned their attention back to their path and slowly left the boy's view. "That was weird…" he muttered before he turned back to the castle and saw that in its place was a gigantic red-orange fox with nine majestic tails. "Oh shit… Kyuubi…"

The fox opened its eye and snorted before it stood to its full height, towering over Naruto and making him take a step back out of fear. **"So…you've finally made your way here. Well, it sure as hell took you long enough. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever take the time to come here."**

Naruto gulped in fear before he replied, "I don't know how I even came here. The last thing I remember was looking at that triangle-like symbol."

**"A triforce… That's the symbol you saw. It's the symbol of the royal family that Uzu served before they were destroyed. Think of the family like the Daimyo that the Hidden Villages serve."**

"How do you know that?"

The fox scoffed and answered, **"You're talking to a being that has lived over a hundred of your lives. I know what I'm talking about."**

Naruto slowly nodded in agreement. "So, what was that vision I saw just now? I've never seen a castle like that before, or a strange rider like the one that almost knocked me over."

**"That was a vision of what is to come in your future. The castle is that of the Hylia Royal Family; the family with the triforce symbol. As for the cloaked figure, I don't have an answer for that."**

"Where is Hylia Castle?" asked the redhead in confusion.

**"I'll let you figure that out for yourself. Right now, I'm curious as to why you aren't yelling about how I am 'responsible for your crappy life'… You've only asked me a few questions, but nothing else."**

"There's no point in yelling at you. You didn't do those things to me; the villagers did. Sure, it's _because_ you're in me that they did that, but it's not truly your fault."

The fox slowly laid its head on its paws and stared at the boy before it. **"That's an interesting way to look at it… I honestly believed that you would yell and scream at me and demand repentance for what happened. You're certainly much more mature about this than I believed."**

Naruto gave a small grin at the fox's words. "Thanks! I thought about it for a while and I want to know the full story before I place any blame."

**"The full story…?"**

"Yea… I want to know what happened that night…through _your_ point of view."

"**And what makes you think that I'll just tell you what happened? Better yet, why should you believe a word I say?"**

"It's because you haven't made a single attempt to attack me or made any demands for me to free you. For that, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, fox."

That reasoning made the great beast smirk. **"You're an interesting child… Maybe I'll tell you one day; when I feel as if you're ready to know. For now, just make sure you don't go dying on me. Our lives are connected by the seal your father placed on you. So if you die, so do I."**

"Got it. I'll be sure to get you to tell me your side of the story, fox. I'd better go now. We're trying to find anything that was destroyed in the village."

A single scroll manifested before the redhead and made him raise a brow in confusion. **"That should help you find what you're looking for. Certain areas of the village will hold that triforce symbol and they can only be accessed by what's in that scroll."**

Naruto pocketed it and gave the fox a smile. "Thanks for your help!" he called out before he faded away.

The fox smirked and muttered, **"To think that this boy is the fabled Hero that Kami-sama and the other goddesses have chosen… I'll be sure to pay attention to what happens for now."**

Real World

Naruto blinked and saw that he hadn't moved from his spot in front of the broken statue. He checked his pocket and was surprised that the scroll Kyuubi gave him was still there. He pulled it out and opened it, revealing a set of musical notes and saw that the piece was called _Lullaby of Light_ (1). He looked back to the triforce symbol and smirked before he unsealed his ocarina and began to play the song.

As he played the soft and slow melody, the triforce symbol began to glow with a brilliant light before the statue slowly slid back and revealed a hole with a ladder leading down. He stopped playing and tried to look down the hole, but he couldn't see too far down it. He sighed at that before he called his companions over and explained to them what he did. He kept out talking to the fox for the time being and resolved to tell them when they were finished.

He took point and made his way down the ladder followed by Uta and Reina. It was a thirty foot descent down the hole before Naruto felt his feet touch some ground. As soon as his sandal made contact, seal arrays lit up the floor and the hallway he was now standing in with a greenish glow.

"Cool…" he muttered with a grin before he made his way down the now lit hallway. Uta and Reina were not far behind him as the redhead made his way through the bunker and entered an open room. In the room was a pedestal with two scrolls; one as tall as he was and the other about the size of his arm. Both scrolls had the Uzumaki symbol on them, but the larger one also had the triforce symbol on it.

"Well, I'd say we found what we came for," Reina commented with a smile while Naruto and Uta nodded in agreement. "Go on, Naruto. Those scrolls are yours to look through, after all."

He nodded and made his way to the pedestal before he picked up the smaller scroll and poured his chakra into the Uzu Spiral. The scroll pulsed before it opened for him and revealed its contents. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of various notes and diagrams on fuinjutsu and the explanation of the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai before he rolled it back up and pocketed it. The second scroll was much heavier for him, but he was able to get it off of the pedestal and open it on the floor. He saw many different names from the Uzumaki Clan on the scroll; he even saw his mother's name!

"Wow… Kaa-chan signed this too… Awesome…" he whispered in amazement before he gained a confused look.

"Sign your name in blood, Naruto," Reina called out. "That's a summoning scroll and it requires a blood sacrifice."

He nodded before he bit his thumb and signed his name on the scroll. As soon as he finished signing it, he was engulfed in a bright light that blinded Reina and Uta. They kept their eyes shielded for about ten seconds before it died down and Naruto stood before them with a grin (2).

"They accepted me! That was a weird test though…" he exclaimed while muttering the last part.

"Great job, Naruto. Now, let's get out of here. We got what we came for."

"What about the summoning scroll?"

"You're its possessor now, Naruto. You can choose whether to leave it or take it with us," explained Reina, making him nod before he strapped it to his back and the three made their way out of the bunker. Once they all exited the underground, the statue slid back into place and sealed up the entrance once again.

The next thing they did was have Reina summon Fiore again and fly away from the island. Their next destination was Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village), the place Reina stayed during her time away from Konoha. It was also the place where someone like Naruto resided.

Two Weeks Later (Taki)

It took a week and a half to fly from Uzu to Taki, but Naruto was able to study the Uzu Fuinjutsu Scroll during the trip and found that the teachings in the scroll were easy for him to understand. While Reina and Uta couldn't really make heads or tails of it, Naruto understood it perfectly.

He also studied the Uzumaki Bloodline; the _Rasen Rei_ (Spiral Soul). The bloodline explained the uniqueness of the Uzumaki Chakra. While every Uzumaki member had long longevity, or a long lifespan and resistance, each member had one of three unique chakra sources.

The first was Chakra Manifestation; the ability to make solid chakra constructs like Kushina and her Chakra Chains. This was the most common of the three and most of the clan members focused on creating swords with the bloodline.

The second was manifested when an Uzumaki and a Twili had a child together, resulting in Inton, or Dark Release, chakra. The darkness element was highly potent in its ability to create genjutsu. In fact, _all_ genjutsu use a small bit of Inton chakra, but the Uzumaki and Twili had higher potency with the element.

The third and final came to be when a member of the female Hylia member had a child with her personal Uzumaki guard with whom she fell in love with. The result was Yōton, or Light Release, chakra. The light element was said to breathe life into the world and was capable of healing even the direst of wounds. All medical jutsu used Yōton in some degree, but the Hylia and Uzumaki were the best with the element.

According to the scroll, the only person who was not recorded as a member of any of the three clans, yet was able to utilize the Uzumaki Bloodline, was the Rikudo Sennin. It was with Inton and Yōton that the Sage was rumored to have created the Nine Bijuu out of the Juubi. This information stunned Naruto and he wondered if he would be able to pull off something similar in the future since he had both light and dark elements.

When the three arrived at Taki, Reina wasted no time in talking to the head of the village and stating her return. The village head was a kind and elderly man who had no qualms with letting Reina move into the village years ago. The woman was easy to get to know and the civilians enjoyed having her; especially a certain greenette Jinchuriki who saw her as a surrogate mother.

When Fuu, the Nanabi Jinchuriki, heard of Reina's return after over a year, she was extremely overjoyed and glomped the woman in the middle of the market area. The sight made many onlookers smile at the closeness the two had. Naruto and Uta also smiled and were glad to know that Reina wasn't truly alone when she left Konoha.

Four Months Later (Seven Months left in the year)

Naruto was busy looking over a fuinjutsu array he had been working on while Uta worked on her taijutsu and Fuu worked with her insects. The greenette was hesitant in getting to know the two newcomers, but she soon opened up to them and the three became good friends.

Naruto and Fuu even shared their statuses as Jinchuriki and the two grew closer after that. They were able to speak to one another, as well as the Bijuu they held, in a shared mindscape when they bumped fists with one another (3). The Nanabi revealed herself to be named Chomei and also told the two, much to the fox's ire, that the Kyuubi's name was Kurama and he was the most stubborn of the Nine Beasts. Kurama stayed silent throughout all of their talks, not wanting to speak to anyone unless it had something that concerned him.

Uta had also gotten much closer to her friend; so much so that she had finally expressed her feelings for him and kissed him.

Flashback (Three Weeks Ago)

It was after a tough day of taijutsu training that Naruto was seen resting on a tree branch and gazing at the moon, much like the night he met Uta.

The greenette easily found him and was thinking something similar, making her smile at the memory. During her time with the redhead, she had seen him during happy moments, sad moments, and everything in between. Her heart had slowly been going out to him until finally she was willing to give it to him fully. At first, she was worried that he wouldn't return the sentiment, especially since she wasn't fully human. But, she put aside that fear and resolved to tell him.

"Naruto-kun, can you come down here? I want to talk to you."

He looked down to see his friend and smiled before he jumped out of the tree and stood next to her. "What's up, Uta-chan?"

She fidgeted slightly before she took a breath and asked, "Naruto-kun, what do you think of me?"

He tilted his head in confusion and asked back, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how do you feel about me?"

He gave her a smile and replied, "I think you're a great person, someone who believes in me no matter what, you're very pretty, and I like spending time with you. You're my best friend, Uta-chan."

She smiled back with a small blush when he called her 'pretty'. Her heart was pounding when he had his eyes closed with a smile, giving her the perfect opportunity. She rested a hand on his cheek and rubbed it softly, making him relax and unconsciously lean into it. Her face leaned into his and her lips stopped just a breath away from his.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered, "I want to give you something."

"What is it?" he asked back with his eyes still closed.

Her response was her lips softly meeting his in a kiss that sent jolts throughout her body. She wrapped her arms around him to make the feeling last while he slowly came out of his initial shock and wrapped his arms around her waist. They kept at it for about three minutes before they separated. They had flushed faces and were quickly gathering lost air back into their lungs before Uta closed her eyes with a smile and leaned her forehead on his.

"I like you, Naruto-kun… I could probably go further and say that I love you, but I don't want us to rush into anything. I just hope that, if you don't feel the same way, that we could still be friends. I don't want to lose what I already have with you because you don't feel the same."

Naruto was silent for a bit, making her believe that he didn't feel the same, before she felt his lips melt with hers again. Her heart fluttered as he kissed her and as he pulled away, she unconsciously followed in hopes of not ending the feeling. He chuckled at that, making her blush, before he said, "I like you too, Uta-chan. And you're right about not rushing things. I want to see where this goes before we make any serious commitments."

She smiled and nodded before the two leaned against a tree and watched the moon.

Present Time

Thinking about that night always made Naruto and Uta smile and look to one another. It was such a beautiful moment and the following morning, Naruto used the feeling as inspiration for another song. This one was upbeat and joyful, making even the animals in the surrounding area come closer to listen. When he couldn't come up with a title, Uta gave him the name of an old Forest Spirit and the redhead agreed with the name; _Saria's Song_.

Naruto shook himself out of his reminiscing and prepared the fuinjutsu tag. He placed it on the ground, put his palm on it, and pulsed his chakra through it. "_Fuinjutsu: Dōka Fuiin_ (Assimilation Seal)!" he cried out before the seal glowed a bright green and pulled the soil from the ground and merged it with Naruto's skin. Once his right arm was fully covered, he flared his chakra through it and watched in amazement how the soil hardened and became as solid as stone.

He turned his sights to a nearby tree and rushed towards it before he punched the bark with his earthen limb. The result: the tree splintered and Naruto's fist went straight through the trunk and out the other side, making him grin at his accomplishment.

"Alright, the seal works! Now I just need to see if I can do it for other sources; like water, or even steel."

Reina watched from the sidelines with a warm smile. _'He shows the same talent as you and Minato did, Kushina-chan. He really is your son… You'd be proud of him.'_

Three Months Later (Four Months left in the year)

"_Fuuton: Daitoppa_ (Great Breakthrough)!" cried out Uta as she launched the wave of wind at a nearby training dummy, knocking it off of its stand.

"_Doton: Kengan no Jutsu_ (Fist of Rock)!" came Fuu's cry as she covered her right hand in earth and broke a different training dummy to pieces.

"_Fuuton: Ikiryō Naku_ (Wraith's Cry)!" Naruto called out before he took a deep breath and exhaled a high-pitched shriek that came out as a concussive force and broke the third training post (4).

The trio heard clapping and turned to see their teach giving them a proud grin. "Great job, you three. You've all come far in your training. Now, I want you to take the next month to relax."

"What? Why?" asked Naruto in surprise.

"You can't train all of the time, gaki. You need some downtime too, y'know… Besides, I need this month to get some things ready for the next stage of your training. So, just enjoy yourselves for the month."

As soon as she left, the three looked to one another and sighed. It was gonna be a long month for them since they were so used to training for most of the day.

Even though they were advised to rest, the three of them still 'trained' in something. Naruto studied his fuinjutsu scroll, Uta tried to mix Fuuton chakra into musical pitches, and Fuu tried to increase her insect variety. Reina merely sighed in exasperation at the sight, but she was still glad that they were at least resting their bodies.

When the month ended, Reina showed up again with black bodysuits for the three of them. The suits hugged their bodies yet it didn't restrict any movement for them. They spent the following two months practicing stealth and camouflage within the forests of the village.

The first month was slightly difficult since they kept stepping on stray twigs and leaves, revealing their locations to Reina. However, the second month showed a great increase in progress and they were finally able to get within fifteen feet of the woman before she sensed them.

During the final month of the second year, Naruto focused solely on practicing his _Songs of Heroes_ and getting a better feel for each song. Uta helped him while focusing on the start of Doton training. Fuu offered advice to Uta and also practiced commanding multiple insect species at one time.

By the time the year was over, the three of them had increased their skills exponentially and were well on their way to giving even Chunin trouble.

Like Midna the year before, Fuu had slowly fallen for the redhead Jinchuriki. He knew what it was like to hold a Bijuu, he made her smile and laugh just as much as Reina did years before, and he always treated her with respect and kindness. It warmed her heart whenever she was around him but she knew Uta had already gotten really close to him.

Luckily for her, Reina caught on to her feelings and told her that, since Naruto was the last Uzumaki of Konoha, he'd be eligible for the CRA when he was old enough. That gave the greenette Jinchuriki hope that she could still have a chance with him. Before the three left Taki, Fuu made a promise to them that she'd see them during the next Chunin Exams, making them smile and tell her that they'd be waiting.

Reina had one more year before she had to return to Konoha. She had one final stop; Tetsu no Kuni (Land of Iron).

(End)

1~ Basically, the song is _Zelda's Lullaby_

2~ I know, leaving you all in the dark makes me seem like an ass. However, my reasoning is that I don't know what summon to give Naruto. I don't want to give him Toads or anything overly used (Dragons, Foxes, Wolves, Phoenixes, etc). If you guys have any suggestions, please PM them to me!

3~ Like Naruto and Kirabi do in canon

4~ Think of it like the Ring Wraiths' shrieks from Lord of the Rings (I don't own that)

There's chapter 6 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Now, I promised to show Reina's statistics. So, here they are:

**Reina Kōkai: **  
Originally from Kirigakure, Reina moved to Konoha after her parents were killed by a traitor to the village. She left out of fear of their killer finding her and finishing her off. During her stay in Konoha, she was teamed with Kushina Uzumaki and Mikoto Uchiha under Tsunade Senju. She became friends with them, as well as Tsume Inuzuka, and was equal to Kushina in skill. The Uzumaki and Kōkai even saw one another as surrogate sisters.

During her time as a Jonin, she found her parents' killer and finished him before she chose to remain in Konoha. When Kushina was pregnant with Naruto, she was named his godmother; something she happily accepted. After the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, she believed that Naruto was killed with his parents and left Konoha in grief. She moved to Taki and visited Konoha every year on the Day of Lost Souls.

During her stay in Taki, she befriended Fuu and became a surrogate mother/sister to her. She also traveled the nations and visited Tasogare no Kuni, Tetsu no Kuni, Nami no Kuni, and finally visited Hylia Castle. She was ready to settle down in Taki before she was reunited with her godson.

**Taijutsu-** High A (due to prosthetic limb)  
**Ninjutsu-** Low S (Has Water and Fire affinities)  
**Genjutsu-** Mid B (Not her favorite style)  
**Kenjutsu-** High B (due to not practicing for so long)  
**Sealing-** High C (Mainly knows basic sealing, but also knows Stasis Sealing)  
**Summoning-** Couatls (winged serpents; they are NOT dragons)

I hope that you all like Reina's profile and stats!

Next Time: The Third and Final Year! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	7. Chapter 7: Year Three

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

Poll Notice: I have placed a poll up concerning my next story! Please cast your votes!

"Speech"

'_Thought/Mental Speech'_

"**Bijuu Speech"**

'_**Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 7: Year Three

"Geez nee-chan, you never told us it'd be so cold here!" complained Naruto as he hugged his snow cloak closer to his body.

The trio had made their way to Tetsu no Kuni two weeks after they left Takigakure. The country was far to the north and was always cold; so cold that it snowed almost year round.

Reina merely shook her head with a bemused smile and kept walking through the snow-filled path. Uta sighed at Naruto's complaint but she couldn't deny that he was right. It was freezing and the two had never dealt with such cold weather before. Reina was used to it due to her travels, so the weather wasn't even fazing her.

"C'mon you two, we're almost there. The sooner we get to Shiroganechō (Silver Town), the sooner we can find a warm hotel to stay in," stated the brunette as she moved on ahead of them.

As soon as the two heard 'warm hotel', they immediately picked up the pace and walked in step with Reina. "Reina-san, you never told us what was in Tetsu no Kuni or why we're spending our final year there," Uta told the woman.

"Well, Tetsu no Kuni is famous for the samurai forces that reside there. They have no shinobi force whatsoever and the samurai utilize their chakra in different ways. However, that wasn't always the case."

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto with interest.

"Well, the samurai serve the Hylia Royal Family; just as the Uzumaki once did. They worked together to protect and serve them before Uzu was destroyed. While the samurai guarded the family within its walls, the Uzu shinobi served from the shadows, did various missions for them, and were assigned as personal guards."

"Was kaa-chan ever interested in serving the royal family?"

"I don't think she was. She only mentioned the royal family in passing and never really went into detail about them. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know… Maybe they could use an Uzumaki guard in the future…"

"That would mean that you would have to forsake Konoha and devote your life to them, Naruto," informed Reina as the trio approached the main gate of Shiroganechō. "Your life would be that of service to them and no one else."

"It was just a thought…" Naruto said quietly as they made their way to the hotel for the night. As soon as they checked in and went to their room, Naruto and Uta immediately plopped on their beds and fell asleep. Reina shook her head in amusement before she went to sleep herself.

The next morning, after the trio had a decent breakfast, Reina led them to a large iron gate that had armored swordsmen standing on and in front of it. One of them approached them and questioned, "What business do you have here?"

"I'm here to see Mifune-sama," Reina answered calmly. "He should be expecting me."

"Your name…?"

"Reina Kōkai, along with Naruto Uzumaki and Uta Senritsu (1)."

The guard nodded and spoke in a small microphone in his helmet. "We have a Reina Kōkai here to see Mifune-sama… Yes… I understand." He turned his attention back to the brunette and said, "Everything checks out. However, you will still be required to have an escort within the walls."

"I understand. Thank you," Reina replied before she and the other two were taken through the gate by a different samurai.

He led them through a stone garden and into a small palace that was in the design of a Feudal Japanese home. They went through various hallways before they stopped at a set of iron doors. The samurai knocked in a sequence and a man's voice replied from within the room. "What is it?"

"Reina Kōkai is here to see you, sir."

"Very good; let her in."

The samurai opened the door and allowed the trio entrance before stepping inside himself. The room looked to be a large office with an elderly man sitting at the desk. He had long, grey hair, which almost reached down to his waist, with bandages wrapped around his head. He had black eyes with distinct wrinkles underneath them, a grey goatee and moustache and was dressed in a formal dark purple kimono.

With him were two others; both women. The first was a slightly elderly woman with graying hair, dark green eyes, and a kind visage. She was dressed in a formal blue kimono that had the Hylia Family Crest on it.

The second was a girl who looked to be about two years older than Naruto; who was currently ten going on eleven years old. She had dirty blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and slightly pointed ears. She was dressed in a white dress under an elegant purple tunic that had the Hylia Crest on it, a tiara with an emerald in it, and a necklace with a triforce pendant.

"Ah, Reina-san… It's good to see you again," greeted the man who Naruto and Uta guessed was Mifune.

"Indeed it has, Mifune-sama," she greeted back while bowing, prompting the other two to do the same. "I'm glad that you received my letter concerning our arrival."

"Ah yes, so these two are Naruto and Uta, I presume?"

"Yes, this is my godson, Naruto Uzumaki, and his friend, Uta Senritsu. I was wondering if you had enough time to consider my request concerning Naruto."

While Mifune nodded his head and closed his eyes in thought, the two women in the room widened their eyes in surprise at the name 'Uzumaki'. It was rumored that the Uzumaki Clan had been wiped out many years ago, so seeing one before them was quite a shock.

"Yes, I did consider it and I will honor it seeing as I am still in your debt for your services here many years ago."

"Thank you, Mifune-sama. I'm sure that he will be one of your best students."

"Student?" asked Naruto in confusion.

"Yes, young man. Reina-san here had sent me a request to have you taught some swordsmanship during your stay here. While I normally wouldn't consider teaching an outsider, let alone someone who wishes to be a shinobi, Reina has earned my trust and I owe much to her and your clan. It would be dishonorable not to help a member of your clan after all they have done for the Hylia Royal Family and the samurai."

Naruto nodded in understanding and bowed in gratitude. A thought came to him and he asked Reina, "What about Uta-chan? What will she be doing?"

"I'll be helping her during the year. I won't just let her do nothing while you're training."

"That's good. I didn't want her to feel left out," Naruto said with a smile, making Uta smile at his care along with the adults. The Hylia girl merely watched the interaction with interest. The Uzumaki boy was a curious individual and she wanted to see just who he was.

"Alright then Naruto-san, we will begin your training tomorrow since I still have business with these women here. Meet me at the gate of this building tomorrow at 7am sharp."

"Yes sir," replied the redhead with a bow. The other two followed suit before they were escorted out of the building.

"Well, now that that business is finished, what was it you asked of me again, Kiara-san?" asked the Head Samurai.

"We were mainly wondering if anyone has been able to remove the Shukun Ken (Master Sword) from the shrine."

"Unfortunately, no one has been able to even make the sword even shift within its pedestal prison. Many have tried, but none have succeeded."

"Why not have that Uzumaki boy try?" suggested the youngest in the room.

"Zelda-hime, surely you jest. He is just a boy. While he may be an Uzumaki, that does not guarantee that the Shukun Ken will accept him," replied Kiara.

The newly named Zelda stared straight at her escort/caretaker and responded, "Maybe he is just a boy, but what's the harm in letting him try to remove the sword? Either he doesn't succeed and we wait for the chosen one, or he _does_ succeed and we won't have to search anymore." She then turned to Mifune and continued, "Is this an issue for you?"

"Not at all; I'm actually curious as to what will happen. Of course, I'll teach him for half the year first, to get him used to handling a sword, and then I'll take him to the shrine."

"Thank you, Mifune-san. Please inform me when you will take him. I wish to see his attempt for myself."

"Of course, hime-sama."

With Naruto

The redhead was checking out the sights of the town and was interested with the various shops and stands that filled the market area. He saw a smithy, a large stable, many exotic foods from various countries, and an antique shop.

Suddenly, a familiar song filled the air and he stopped in his tracks to listen. The melody and tempo was so familiar that the name of the song easily came to him.

"_Minuet of the Forest_… But who's-?"

"Hey, there's a familiar face!" came a voice, cutting off Naruto's silent question. The redhead turned to see that the voice belonged to the man that sold him his ocarina two years ago. The man had a small flute in his hand and musical notes on his cart.

"Hey mister, I didn't know you sold stuff here too!" he said with a smile while noticing that the notes on the cart were in fact the song notes for _Minuet of the Forest_.

"Of course I do; this is my hometown. So, what are you doing here, kid?"

"I'm gonna learn from Mifune-sama about swordsmanship."

"Well now, that is quite the surprise. How did you get the man to agree to teach you?" asked the man in surprise.

"Actually, it was my godmother who got him to. Apparently she earned a favor from him and he said that he wanted to help the Uzumaki Clan."

The man raised a brow at that. "What does that old clan have to do with this?"

"Simple; my name is Naruto _Uzumaki_," replied the redhead with a grin.

The man almost fell back in shock. "Y-You mean that you're a member of _the_ Uzumaki Clan?" Naruto nodded. "Well, no wonder I had such high expectations for ya. Only an Uzumaki would be able to get my support so easily," the man said with a small smirk.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and would have said more, but the two heard a woman cry out for help and saw a cloaked figure holding a struggling child ride away quickly on a horse. Without a moment's hesitation, Naruto ran to the stable and jumped onto a random red horse with a blonde mane.

He grabbed the reins and slapped the horse, making it whinny before it took off in full gallop. Naruto followed the cloaked kidnapper throughout the town and outside of the main gate in hopes of getting to the child before the figure escaped.

"C'mon, let's go! Hyah!" Naruto called out to his horse before he cracked the reins and made it pick up speed. Soon, Naruto's horse was running side-by-side with the kidnapper's and the redhead tried to reach out for the struggling child. The kidnapper moved their horse, and the child by extension, away from Naruto's range and had the animal run through the snowy forest surrounding the town. Naruto didn't hesitate to have his horse follow and quickly caught up to the kidnapper.

The redhead slowly rose to a standing position on his horse's saddle before he jumped off and tackled the kidnapper, making him and the child fall off the horse. The kidnapper's horse continued to run off while the kidnapped child was able to get away from her captor. She ran behind Naruto and hid behind the horse that came to a stop behind the redhead.

"Damn brat…" muttered the kidnapper as they rose to their feet and had the hood of their cloak fall down, revealing a scarred man's face. "You should've just minded your own business!"

"And let you steal a little girl away from her mother? Forget it, pal!" Naruto retorted with narrowed eyes as he flipped through handseals. "_Fuuton: Ikiryō Naku_!" he called out before he released a high-pitched shriek that came out as a concussive force and crashed into the man. The man flew back from the blow and crashed into a nearby tree, disoriented and in pain, before he turned to his side and puked.

Naruto capitalized on his opponent's inability to fight back and grabbed the girl before he got back on the horse and rode back to town. As soon as they made it through the gate, Naruto had the horse come to a stop before he got off and helped the girl down. The child's mother quickly ran up to her child and hugged her as the girl cried. "Thank you, young man," said the mother gratefully.

Naruto nodded with a small smile. "It was no problem, ma'am. I'm just glad that I was able to get to her before that guy went too far."

The mother once again thanked him before she led her daughter back home. A large man soon walked up and gave Naruto an irritated look. "Boy, do you know that you just stole my best horse?"

"Hey, I did it to get to the girl in time! If I didn't, then that guy would have gotten away!"

The man growled at the kid and would have yelled at him, but Mifune and two samurai approached them. "What is going on here?"

"This boy stole my best horse!"

"I did it to stop a kidnapper who rode away on their own horse!" retorted the redhead.

"It's true, sir," said the shopkeeper Naruto was talking to earlier. "I saw the whole thing. This boy took a horse and rode after a cloaked figure that had a struggling girl in their grasp. The boy's a hero."

Mifune turned to Naruto and gave him a scrutinizing look, which made the boy nervous. "I believe you," he said, surprising the Uzumaki. "Gerald, I know that Epona is your prized horse, but Naruto-san here needed her to catch a criminal."

Naruto turned to the horse that stood beside him and gently stroked her maw. "So, your name's Epona… Thanks for helping me." The horse simply nuzzled into Naruto's arm, making him smile, before it licked his hand.

The two men saw the whole interaction and Mifune smiled to Gerald. "Well, it looks like Epona has found a new friend. Perhaps you'd be willing to sell her to you Naruto here."

"Sell my best horse?! Why on earth would I do that?!"

"Because you could easily raise another horse to be just as good as Epona is. Plus, I believe young Naruto deserves some kind of reward for saving a young girl today."

Gerald grumbled silently before he sighed and nodded in agreement. "Fine, I'll sell the kid Epona…for 100 yen. Normally, I'd sell her for 200, but I guess the kid can have a 'hero discount'."

"Deal!" exclaimed the redhead before he ran up to the stable manager and handed him the money. He then got on his new horse and yelled, "Thanks!" before he rode off to the hotel he was staying at.

One Month and Two Weeks Later (Ten Months left in the year)

Naruto was kneeling before Mifune, sweat mixed with blood pouring down his face. Mifune may have been an old man, but he was _ruthless_ in a sword battle.

Even though the two of them were using bokken, Mifune still struck hard enough to break skin and make Naruto feel like one large, bloody bruise.

"Get up, Naruto! This can't be the extent of your drive!" ordered Mifune as he stood in a ready stance.

Naruto groaned as he used the bokken to help him stand. He stood in a wobbly stance before he took a calm breath and readied himself for his current teacher's attack. Mifune was teaching Naruto how to react to, block, and evade strikes from an opponent without the use of chakra. When Naruto asked why, the samurai explained that his forces only used chakra with Shape Manipulation and as a stimulant.

Basically, they used chakra as a 'shell' for their blades, for ranged sword strikes, and to increase their physical ability in a split-second.

Mifune sped toward the redhead and went for an overhead swing, making Naruto react by raising his bokken to block the strike. The sound of cracked wood filed the area before Mifune's bokken smashed through Naruto's and smacked into his head. Naruto fell to the ground unconscious and Mifune had a medic take care of him.

_'While he lacks the needed strength, his reaction timing is increasing exponentially. With more practice, and lots of physical exercise, his swordsmanship will be quite high by the end of the year.'_

Two Months Later (Eight Months left in the year)

"Again!" ordered Mifune to his student as Naruto stood in a small ring with his eyes blindfolded. In his hands was a ninjato while surrounding samurai swung logs held up by rope at him. Naruto's body twitched before he swung behind him and sliced a log clean in half. He then swung left, right, forward, and then stabbed straight into the air above him, resulting in three more sliced logs and one stabbed by his blade and held above him.

Naruto swung his sword and flung the log off of his blade, making it split in half when it landed. "How was that, Mifune-sensei?"

The Head Samurai nodded and replied, "Much better, my young pupil. Your speed is increasing bit by bit and your strength has grown exponentially."

During the times when Naruto wasn't training in swordplay, or hanging out with his new horse, he spent the time physically pushing his body to its limit. What he did mostly was push-ups with a large boulder carefully placed on his back. This was to increase his strength and balance simultaneously. He would keep going until he could barely keep himself from being crushed. Then he would have Epona mule kick the boulder off of him before she, literally, dragged him back to the hotel for the night.

While Reina was pleased with his determination and the results, Uta was worried that he would push himself too far and hurt himself. Of course, Naruto and Reina told her that he needed this training to help his swordplay, but she wasn't happy with how they were going about it.

Zelda was also an observer of the redhead's training. Many times, she thought that he would quit and just g home, but he just kept going without any signs of giving up. It impressed her, and intrigued her at the same time. Where did his drive come from? Why was he pushing himself so much? She wanted to know, but she decided to remain patient and see if he was worth further observation after his attempt to remove the Shukun Ken.

Two Months Later (half a year left)

Within a small shrine of Shiroganechō, there was a small stone pedestal with the Hylia Crest on it that had a sword's handle sticking out of it. Beside it stood Zelda along with her escort and Mifune, waiting for the Uzumaki to try his luck at removing the blade. Naruto stood at the entrance of the shrine, with Uta and Reina behind him, dressed in new clothes that he said 'felt right'.

He was dressed in brown boots, black pants, a grey long-sleeved shirt under a blood red tunic, fingerless black gloves, and a waistline belt over the tunic with a golden buckle in the design of an Uzu Spiral. On his back was his ninjato with the handle right behind his right shoulder for easy access.

"Naruto Uzumaki," began Princess Zelda, "you have been asked to try your hand at removing the Shukun Ken from its pedestal prison. Please note that, should you be unable to remove the sword, there will be no consequences."

"And if I _can_ remove it…?"

"Then a desperately sought out truth will finally be revealed to us," she answered with a straight face. She and the other two stepped aside and allowed the Uzumaki to approach the pedestal.

Naruto felt his stomach clench when he stood before the trapped blade. _'Man, I've never felt this nervous about anything before… What do you think my chances are, Kurama?'_

**"Why are you asking me? Just try to pull the sword out already! You're acting like the fate of the world will be determined by this…"** replied the fox. _**'Even though it kind of does…'**_

Naruto took a calming breath and moved his right hand to grasp the handle, making a gust of wind flow from the blade and rush out of the shrine. He closed his eyes and braced himself for resistance before he yanked his hand upward.

The result?

Naruto fell back and landed on his butt with the Shukun Ken held firmly in his hand; out of its pedestal. He opened his eyes and looked to the sword in his grasp. The weapon was a double-edged longsword with no fuller and a dark purple hilt. The sword's cross-guard was noticeably large and elaborate, in relation to its pommel. The triforce symbol was also seen to be engraved on the base of the blade, and embedded in the cross-guard in what appeared to be a yellow gemstone.

He slowly stood up and took a few light swings with it, amazed that it felt so light in his hands. _'Wow… This blade… It feels like…like I was meant to wield it.'_

_**'****So, he really is the Chosen One of the goddesses… Heh, things are gonna be interesting from here on,'**_ thought the Kyuubi as he rested inside of the seal.

"Congratulations, Naruto Uzumaki," stated Zelda with a small smile on her face. "The Shukun Ken is now yours to wield how you see fit." Her smile grew slightly as she thought, _'The goddesses have delivered to us our Chosen One; and not a bad choice, either. Strong, courageous, determined, and incredibly handsome… I think I'll enjoy seeing more of you, Naruto.'_

Unknown Area

While the others in the shrine of Shiroganechō congratulated the redheaded Chosen One, a figure bathed in shadow felt the pulse of power that emitted from the blade when Naruto pulled it free.

_'So…the Chosen One has finally revealed himself. I wonder who it is…and how I can break him,'_ thought the figure as bright red fangs revealed themselves in a smirking manner beneath the shadows that hid them. _'Soon, we will meet Chosen One. But not now; no, now I must continue to gain back my former strength…'_

Five Months and Three Weeks Later (last week of the year)

Naruto was seen lying on his hotel bed with the sheathed Shukun Ken leaning against the wall alongside an adult shield. The shield was dark blue in color with a silvery outline and had the Hylia Crest on it. Beneath it was a large red Uzumaki Spiral that had a fuinjutsu array hidden in its black outline. What the seals did was a surprise for Naruto's enemies.

The shield itself was given to him by Princess Zelda since 'a hero may use a sword to strike down their foes, but they need a shield to hold them back'. Naruto gratefully accepted the shield and was given a surprise kiss on his cheek by the Princess before she made her way back to the Royal Castle not far from Shiroganechō. She expressed her wish to see him again in the future and Naruto promised he would with a smile.

Uta was irritated at first that the Princess so boldly kissed the one she admitted her affection to. But, she knew that Zelda wasn't the only one that had taken a liking to the redheaded hero. Midna and Fuu were noticed giving Naruto discreet looks of wanting during the previous two years. The earth-bound musical spirit sighed at this but was not too upset. Reina had explained that Naruto would be eligible for the CRA and he would be able to love all four of them. It took a long time to accept that, but she eventually did and made a silent promise to be Naruto's first should they get that far in the future.

Back to the redhead, Naruto was lost in thought while a small creature was waiting patiently for a reply to its question. The creature had light green fur, rabbit-like feet, a long tail with a spiky tip, small arms, long ears, a red gem on its forehead, and a crown-shaped head (2). This creature was known as a carbuncle, a small summon that had various abilities depending on the color of its forehead gem. It was the Carbuncle Contract that Naruto had received in Uzu and this carbuncle, Laguna, was asking her summoner if he was ready to face the trials ahead.

The carbuncles knew what their summoner was destined for, and as soon as he was seen with the Shukun Ken, they told him that he would face many trials in his future; some that may cause him to lose himself trying to complete.

"Are you ready for what will happen, Naruto?" asked Laguna.

"…I don't know. I want to say yes right away, but I know that there are still many things that I'm not ready for… So, I don't know just yet…"

"A wise and well thought out answer, Naruto… Do not worry so much about these future trials now, for it won't do you any good. Just know that you have our support so long as you always keep your mind, and your heart, open," she said to him before she left a plume of smoke.

Naruto sat on his bed and looked to the ceiling while contemplating her words. "Keep my mind and heart open… Hmm, I wonder what that means for the future…"

(End)

1~ I thought Uta needed a last name

2~ I'd like to thank Hoytti for coming up with the Uzumaki Summon Creature

There's chapter 7 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: The Return! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	8. Chapter 8: The Return

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon! Damn lawsuit...

AN: In case you guys haven't noticed, I moved this story from the Naruto/Pokémon category to the Naruto/Zelda one. This is mainly because the story is leaning more towards a Zelda Xover than a Pokémon one. It'll still have small elements of Pokémon, but not a whole lot.

"Speech"

'_Thought/Mental Speech'_

"**Bijuu Speech"**

'_**Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 8: Return

Hiruzen sighed as he went through sheet after sheet of paperwork. Three years without Naruto were actually very uneventful.

Well, not _completely_ uneventful…

The Civilian Council tried their damndest to make Naruto still be seen as a monster and the Kyuubi incarnate, but Hiruzen and the Clan Heads were quick to support the young Uzumaki. The two differing sides made the village's overall opinion of the boy divided into people who saw him as a demon and people who saw him as a hero.

While it was nowhere _near_ what Hiruzen was hoping for in regards to the opinion of Naruto, it was still _much_ better than when the boy was still in the village.

However, one major downside happened during the three years. Apparently, someone had let it slip that the Yondaime was Naruto's father, making the whole village go into an uproar about the concealed secret. Fortunately and unfortunately, depending on the point of view, the spread of the major secret increased the opinions of the people, both supportive and negative. People who saw him as a demon were even more convinced since "only a demon would kill their parent". The ones who saw the boy as a hero were filled with regret for not helping the boy during his years in the village and resolved to try and support the Uzumaki.

Hiruzen was brought out of his thoughts by a tapping on his window. He turned and saw that it was a messenger pigeon with a small scroll on its back. The scroll had the Uzumaki Swirl on it, showing that it was from Reina.

The Sandaime let the bird in and took the scroll before letting it take a rest on his desk. The scroll only had a simple message: Should be at the gates within the next hour, old monkey.

Hiruzen's eye twitched at the "old monkey" jab, but he still smiled at the fact that Naruto was almost home. He quickly told his secretary to cancel his remaining appointments, even though the only one left was with Danzo, and he made his way to the main gates of Konoha.

He decided to take his time and walk to the gates, allowing him to greet many of the villagers with a kind smile and a friendly wave now and then. The adults bowed to him out of respect while kids followed suit, looked to him in awe, or smiled to the elderly Kage. Seeing the bright faces of the future generation made the man's smile grow and his heart was filled with hope for them.

'_They have their whole lives ahead of them… Ah, to be young again…'_

When he finally made it to the gates, he stood next to the gate guards who greeted him with a respectful bow and he returned with a nod. Now, he just had to be patient.

It wasn't even half an hour later before he heard a creature's bellow from the sky and saw a giant winged serpent slowly land at the gates with Reina Kōkai on its head. The woman stepped off of the creature, thanked it for the ride, and dismissed it before she turned to him. "Good to see you again, old man," she greeted with a small grin while his eye twitched again.

"I'm not _that_ old!" he said in slight desperation and looked to the bystanders for support. Sadly for him, no one did and quite a few of them actually chuckled at the situation. Grumbling to himself, he turned back to Reina and looked for the redheaded Jinchuriki. "Where's Naruto?"

"He's on his way. In fact, he should be coming up right…about…"

(AN: Play "Link's Theme" from any Zelda game)

A horse's whinny caught the Hokage's attention and he saw a brown stallion with a blonde mane galloping to the front gate at full speed. In fact, it didn't look like it'd be able to stop in time and it'd hit the old man. He tensed in preparation to dodge or intercept before the horse leaped high into the air, directly over the Kage's head, and landed on the other side of him before skidding to a halt.

"…Now," Reina finished with a smile while a redhead with a sword and shield stepped down from the horse and helped down a greenette girl.

Hiruzen got a better look at the young man and was surprised to see how much Naruto had changed in just three years. He was dressed in brown boots, black pants, a grey long-sleeved shirt under a blood red tunic, fingerless black gloves, and a waistline belt over the tunic with a golden buckle in the design of an Uzu Spiral. On his back was his shield and sword, with the handle of it right behind his right shoulder for easy access.

The greenette had smooth hair, slightly pointed ears, and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a forest green dress that reached her knees, black sandals, and a blue choker with an emerald pendant on it in the shape of a pair of quarter notes.

The redhead grinned at the old man and gave a two-finger salute. "Yo Jiji! How's it going?"

(AN: End "Link's Theme")

The Sandaime smiled to the eleven-year-old young man and embraced him in a hug. "It's good to see you again, Naruto."

"Good to see you too, Jiji," replied Naruto with a smile before he realized something. "Oh right, Jiji this is Uta-chan," he introduced the greenette to his grandfather figure. "Uta-chan, this is the Sandaime Hokage, but I just call him Jiji."

Uta gave a small bow and greeted, "It's an honor to meet you, Hokage-sama."

"And a pleasure to meet you as well, Uta-san." The Sandaime then turned to Reina and gestured for her to follow him before the group of four made their way to his office, with Naruto leading Epona by her reins.

Reina kept a vigilant eye out for anyone who would dare attack her godson and was pleasantly surprised to see that there were quite a few people who actually greeted him with smiles and/or waves. There were still a few who looked to him with concealed anger, but not as much as the supportive group.

"As you can see, the public opinion concerning Naruto has grown more positive during your time away from Konoha, but there are still some unfortunate people who see him negatively," Hiruzen pointed out to Reina who just nodded in understanding.

"I'm glad that Naruto-kun will at least have some semblance of a peaceful life here in Konoha. Oh by the way, we're expecting some friends of ours to arrive at the village soon."

"Friends?" asked the Kage in confusion.

Reina nodded. "Yes, two members of the Twili with the youngest one wishing to join Konoha's ranks as a Genin. That greenette with Naruto-kun also wishes to be a Genin of the village."

"That's just fine. I assume that you wish for the three of them to be a team as well?" asked Hiruzen with a small smile.

Reina smirked. "Of course, and I want to be their sensei."

"This means that you will have to come out of retirement, Reina."

"I know, but I also know that I will do anything I can for the people I have left in this life. Naruto is my godson and his friends have grown on me. I'll protect them with my life, Hiruzen."

The Sandaime looked to Naruto and Uta, who were walking fairly close to one another, and smiled. "I'm sure you will, Reina."

One Hour Later

Naruto and Uta were enjoying what could be considered as their first date at Ichiraku Ramen. They had spent the last hour going over his training trip with the Hokage and Hiruzen was quite surprised with it all. Naruto and Uta already had the skills of high Genin going on low Chunin. If he sent them to the Academy, it'd be a waste of time. So, he told them that the two of them, along with Midna when she arrived, would take a different kind of Genin Exam and if they passed, then they would become a Genin Team. If they failed, then they would need to spend a year at the Academy.

"Are you nervous about the test, Naruto-kun?"

"Nah… I'm sure we'll do just fine. Midna-chan has impressive Katon and Inton skills, you have your two elemental affinities and your musical abilities, and I have my kenjutsu and fuinjutsu. I'd say that we're a pretty balanced team."

"True… With you as our combat specialist, Midna as our jutsu specialist, and me running support, we shouldn't have too many problems."

"You two seem quite excited about this," Ayame commented with a smile as she took their empty bowls. "So, are you two…?" She touched her pointer finger tips together, and the two nodded with smiles. "Well well, Naruto… I never thought you'd be such a ladies' man," she teased.

Naruto blushed in embarrassment while Uta thought over what the chef had said and couldn't help but agree. Naruto had Midna and Fuu interested in him while Princess Zelda seemed to have taken an interest as well.

The trio was brought out of their moment by a cry of, "Naruto-kun!" and said redhead getting tackled by a blackish blue blur. The next thing they knew, Naruto was on his back with Midna hugging him and resting her head on his chest.

"Midna-chan, you're here already?"

She got up and helped him up before smiling to him. "Of course we are! I couldn't wait to see you again!" she said happily with a small blush.

Uta couldn't help but look slightly irked while Ayame giggled at the scene. It looks like her assumption of Naruto was spot-on. She then took a better look at the Twili girl. She had fiery orange hair, eyes with yellow sclera and red irises, pale skin with a slight blue tint, and dark tribal markings on her arms and legs. She was dressed in a black short sleeved shirt, dark blue cargo shorts, black sandals, and had a medium sized scroll strapped to her back. Her hair was done in a single tail that flowed down to her mid back.

All-in-all, Ayame thought that the young girl looked quite pretty.

"So, how's Mika-sama doing?" asked Naruto.

"Kaa-chan is fine. She's talking to the Sandaime right now concerning gaining citizenship here."

"I see… Well, I guess I can give you a tour of the village while we wait for our test to be prepared."

Midna nodded while Naruto paid Ayame for the meal. He then led Uta and Midna around the village, showing them his favorite spots and different parts of the village that attracted tourists. He ended the tour by showing them a full view of the village from atop the Yondaime's head.

"I always loved the view up here. This spot always seemed to help calm me down and I didn't know why for the longest time."

"How about now?" Midna asked as she sat to his left and Uta sat to his right.

"Now, I know that this spot was the closest I could ever be to the all four of the Hokage and my dream. I still want to be Hokage, but I want to do it to protect the ones I hold close to my heart. I won't do it just for recognition; I'll do it to keep peace in Konohagakure."

He was standing up by the end of his small speech and the setting sun hit him just right so that it looked like he was glowing to the two girls. They smiled to him while sending each other discreet glances. During these glances, they were able to wordlessly agree that they would both be there for him in any way he needed them; even if they had to share him. Uta also mouthed to the Twili that they had some more to discuss concerning the issue, which Midna agreed to.

They were brought out of their moment by the arrival of an ANBU with a Neko mask. "Hokage-sama needs to see the three of you in his office."

They nodded and made their way there. Once inside the office, Hiruzen told them that they would have two days to prepare for the test and that they would take on an already existing Genin Team in a full-on survival exercise. The trio nodded with determined smiles while the adults in the room (Hiruzen, Reina, and Mika) smiled with slight pride. These three were going to go far in their ninja career.

(End)

There's chapter 7 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Okay, I decided to give you guys a list of Naruto's supplies (like one would see for Link in the Zelda games). So, here you go:

**Naruto Uzumaki****  
**Ninja Pouch: 30 shuriken, 10 kunai, 20 feet of wire, three smoke bombs  
Swords: Broadsword (Shukun Ken), Ninjato [Ginkiri (Silver Edge)]  
Shield: Hylia Steel Shield  
Large Scroll: Holds Summoning Scroll, Uzu Fuinjutsu Scroll, and Survival/Travel Scroll  
Money Pouch: 5000 yen

I'll update this list whenever he gets new weapons/equipment! ^_^

Next Time: The Test! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	9. Chapter 9: Genin Test

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

AN: Please check out my (slightly) newest work! It's called "Sacrifice", a Naruto and FF13 Xover! Please read it and review!

AN2: Before any of you get pissed and/or try to kill me for the ridiculously late update, hear me out first! I had work, school finals, and a shitload of family events that it wasn't even funny! Honestly, why do I have to go along for the stupid events when I've got my own shit to do; like typing these updates?!

"Speech"

_'Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

**'_Bijuu Thoughts'_**

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 9: Genin Test

The day of the Genin Test for Naruto, Uta, and Midna had arrived. Reina told them to meet at Training Field 13; their team number if they passed.

Naruto was dressed in what Uta affectionately called his "hero's outfit". For some reason, the name fit. Midna was dressed in her kunoichi attire (what she wore when she reunited with Naruto and Uta).

Uta had changed from her casual looking dress to a wardrobe more fitting for a future kunoichi. She had on black sandals, forest green cargo shorts, a dark purple shirt, some wrappings around her right arm, and her pendant around her neck. She was happy when Naruto told her she looked great in it and said that she should wear it more often.

Now, the trio stood before Reina, Mika, and Sarutobi awaiting their opponents. Not even ten minutes later, a large green blur rushed into the field followed by a smaller one. The trio blanched at the sight of an…eccentric looking man and what could only be described as his mini-me.

_'Those eyebrows can't be real!'_ was their conjoined thought.

"Yosh! We have arrived on time my youthful student!" exclaimed the man.

"Gai-sensei, we left behind Neji and Tenten!" the mini-me exclaimed back.

The man looked shocked and turned to where they had arrived from, only to see his other two students calmly walking to the field. "Hurry, you two! You have been tasked with a youthful C-Ranked mission!"

"Gai-sensei, could you tone it down for once in your life?!" fumed the girl known as Tenten.

"Indeed… You are much too loud and bothersome," added the teen named Neji (1).

Hiruzen chuckled at the downtrodden expressions of the two taijutsu users before he cleared his throat. "Now then, Team 9 you are tasked with testing these potential ninja next to me," he informed them while waving a hand to Naruto and the other two. Naruto gave them a nod with a small smile while Uta and Midna bowed respectfully.

"Of course, Hokage-sama!" exclaimed Gai with his normal exuberance. He then turned to his students and stated, "While this may not be that appealing to you three, this is still a very important mission."

"How exactly is testing a bunch of children a mission?" asked Neji with a raised brow.

"Why don't you stick around and find out?" asked Naruto with a grin while he placed a hand on his ninjato. He would have brought the Shukun Ken and Hylia Shield, but he decided against it. Those weapons were meant for enemies to his home and would only be used when needed.

Neji scoffed at the redhead's attempts to rile him up. "I don't feel like wasting my time on a commoner such as you or your partners; especially the foreigner."

Midna scowled at him and would have yelled at him if Naruto hadn't put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He then turned his gaze to Neji and gave the Hyuuga a cold glare. "Whether you want to or not, I'm gonna kick your ass and make you apologize for that."

"For what? She's a foreigner, plain and simple."

"Wrong! She's my friend and a citizen of Konoha and you will treat her as such!" yelled the Uzumaki while he fingered his sword to barely poke put of its sheathe. Midna meanwhile smiled at his care for her.

"Alright, that's enough!" yelled Gai in a serious tone. "Neji, I expect better from you. Now, you have no choice in this since the Hokage has ordered you to test them. Understand?"

Lee and Tenten nodded while Neji remained silent and glared at Naruto. "Okay, now that the opening statements are out of the way, you may begin the test!" called out Sarutobi while the six participants jumped into the foliage for cover.

With Naruto's team, Midna turned to her teammates and whispered, "I have a plan. I can meld my shadow with Naruto-kun's and watch his back for attacks to his blind spot. Uta-chan, you can distract them with your sound based genjutsu while Naruto-kun takes them out."

"It's a good idea, but I can't specifically target my genjutsu yet. If I did it, both they and Naruto-kun would be caught in it," Uta informed them.

Naruto hummed in thought before he unsealed his ocarina and looked to it curiously, as if it'd give him an idea. The girls looked to him in confusion before he perked up and grinned foxily.

"I got an idea."

With Team 9

Team Gai had just come up with a sound strategy to take down the other team. Lee would be the frontline attacker with Tenten using her ranged weapon skills as a distraction. Then, Neji would sneak around and get the drop on them with his Jyuken (Gentle Fist).

They were just about to initiate their attack before an incredibly high-pitched shriek blew into their ears, making them ring in pain. As they held their hands over them, Uta jumped off a branch and over the concussive sound wave's range before she flew through handseals. She then thrust her hands forward and cried out, "_Fuuton: Daitoppa_!"

The wave of wind forced the team out of the trees and to the ground below where Midna was waiting for them and sank into her own shadow. A circle shaped shadow slid across the ground and latched onto Lee's own before Midna used her Inton to take control of the Genin. The possessed Lee turned to Neji and began to attack with well-aimed Goken (Heavy Fist) strikes, making the Hyuuga have to use his Byakugan (White Eye) to better evade the swift attacks.

Tenten was about to jump in and help, but her danger sense screamed for her to move and she rolled out of the way of a sword strike. She looked up to see Naruto holding his ninjato in a samurai-styled stance with a blank look on his face. She quickly pulled out a scroll and unsealed a katana to match him before the two charged and clashed their blades together.

"Since when do you use swords?" asked the weapons mistress.

"I spent a year in Tetsu no Kuni. I picked up a few things during my stay," he answered with a grin while keeping his true teacher's identity a secret. "It's amazing what you can pick up by observing and experimenting."

He then relented on their deadlocked blades, causing her to fall forward due to the momentum, and he spun around before cracking her in the back of the head with the butt of his ninjato. The force of the blow made her head spin before she fell unconscious.

Back to the others, Midna forced Lee into using more advanced forms of the Goken on his teammate, making the Hyuuga actually sweat a little at the speed of the strikes. Even with his weights on, Lee had always been the faster of the two.

Neji had just dodged a vicious spin kick and had an opening to strike, but his Byakugan saw the earth to his right forming a spike to skewer him. He deftly dodged the spike only to back-flip away from Uta trying to hit him with her _Kengan_ technique. The earth-covered fist dug into the ground with its impact and Uta had to dissolve the pieces stuck to her hand in order to get free. She then back-chopped Lee in the neck, making the boy's body slump and fall motionless and Midna reform back into her normal body.

"So," began the Twili as she wiped away the dust from her pants that wasn't even there, "still think we're just kids, Hyuuga-san?"

Neji scowled at her and readied himself into his Clan's taijutsu stance and was about to charge at the two of them before Naruto landed next to them from behind. "What'd I miss?"

Uta smiled and answered, "It's just us and Hyuuga-san now, Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned and punched his right hand into his left palm in excitement. "Alright, we're doing great!"

Neji's scowl changed into a full blown glare at the redhead's exclamation. "Don't get overconfident, fool. You three just got lucky against us. Even if it's you three against only me, Fate has already declared that I will win."

The three tilted their heads as one in confusion and asked, "Fate?"

"Yes…fate. Every person has a predetermined fate that they follow without question. And it is my fate today to not lose to three children."

Uta sighed and shook her head. This teen in front of her was spouting off nonsense now. A "predetermined fate" for every person? Yea, that's about as believable as the Shinigami refusing to take a soul just for the hell of it.

"So you believe that we have no choice in life? What about the people who _chose_ to die for their village? Or the people who _chose_ to keep their child instead of aborting it or giving up for adoption? A person chooses their own destiny," Naruto declared making his teammates, and the hidden adults, smile. "Saying that fate is the 'sole decision maker' is just another way of saying that you're afraid to take life in your own hands."

Neji's glare grew more heated and he clenched his hands in fury. "What would you know?!" he yelled as he charged at them. "You've never had to suffer like I have!"

The girls were about to retaliate, but Naruto put his arms in front of them and shook his head. They nodded and backed off while Naruto braced himself. Neji was just about to strike his heart before Naruto's hand shot up and snatched it just inches from touching him.

"I know suffering… I know loneliness…hate…anger…despair… Every word you can think of like that, I know it. Tell me Neji, did you start out in a loving home with a family?"

"Why do you care?"

"Just answer the question," Naruto said calmly.

"…Yes, I had a loving father and mother…but I lost my father because of the Main Branch's cowardice and self-righteousness."

"…Then you already have it better than me, Neji," said the redhead, confusing the Hyuuga. "I started out alone… No father, no mother, no family… It was just me against the world for most of my life. Sure, I had people help every now and then, but they were never family. I may see the Hokage as a surrogate grandfather, but he's not _real_ family. I didn't even know if my parents were dead or if they just abandoned me."

Neji stood there and listened to the Uzumaki with a slightly curious face while the others who were still conscious looked on sadly.

"It wasn't until I was eight before I finally met someone who was family; my godmother, Reina. She told me about my parents and how they sacrificed themselves for me…and I felt such happiness and sadness that I thought I'd explode from it all. They loved me and didn't abandon me! Hearing that was the best thing I ever heard in my entire life!" He was openly crying now, but he had a smile on his face. "You and I have both lost family, Neji. But you wanna know the difference between you and me?" Neji just looked to him in confusion and the redhead's smile grew slightly. "I didn't lose hope and decided to make something out of myself; something that would make my parents proud! Ask yourself Neji; do you really think your father would be proud of how you're acting now? You're letting hatred lead you astray when you could seek out the truth from your Clan. I understand you're sad and angry, but you have to realize something… Anger leads to hate…and hate leads to suffering, and I know for a fact that no parent who loves their child wants to see them suffer."

The adults stared at Naruto in amazement at his maturity while Uta and Midna merely smiled and looked to him affectionately. Neji stood in deep thought, his minding racing with images of his father, happy memories that he had almost forgotten, and his father wishing the best for him and telling Neji to live life _his_ way. His eyes widened in shock after that last thought. His father didn't believe in fate, and he never tried to make Neji believe it either.

_'Father…have I really gone astray? Have I…let you down?'_

Naruto slowly walked up to Neji and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, making the Hyuuga look to him. He grinned and said, "Your life is your own, Neji. You should live _your_ way."

The Hyuuga closed his eyes and gave a small smile while chuckling silently. "I see… I guess I was blinded by my anger that I never realized my mistakes…" He then looked Naruto in the eye and continued, "You're right, Uzumaki. I have been neglecting my father's wishes and focused on my rage instead of seeking the truth." He then removed Naruto's hand from his shoulder and nodded to him. "You win this time, but next time will be different," he declared with a small smirk.

Naruto smirked back and replied, "We'll see about that, Neji."

The adults looked to one another and nodded before they made themselves known to the others. Hiruzen had a _Kage Bunshin_ retrieve Lee and Tenten and had it wake them up as well. When they were awake and aware, he said, "Well, I can say without a doubt that you all performed very well. Naruto Uzumaki… Uta Senritsu… Midna Twili… It gives me great joy to instate you three as Genin of Konoha." He then handed them all hiate with black cloth and said, "May you do us all proud."

The three new Genin all smiled and bowed together. "We'll do our best, Hokage-sama/Jiji," they stated, making the Sandaime smile at them.

Reina and Mika walked up to them and congratulated them while Gai praised his students on their good work. Naruto then turned to Neji and called out as Team 9 walked away, "Hey Neji!" The Hyuuga turned around and the Uzumaki grinned, "See ya around!"

Neji smirked and gave a lazy wave as he walked away with his team. Gai looked back to Naruto and smiled at the sight of him and his new team enjoying their instatement. _'Naruto Uzumaki… Thank you for everything you did for my team. You're gonna go far…and I have no doubt that your youthful flames will burn on for a long time.'_

(End)

1~ Team 9 (Gai) will be four years older than the other Genin instead of one. I hope it doesn't bother a lot of people.

There's chapter 9 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Again, I'm sorry for the really long wait for the update. I hope you can all forgive me. I want to warn you all right now that, since I'm on full time again, updates may be slightly scarce for a while. Sorry…

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: A small timeskip and looking into the graduating Genin Class! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	10. Chapter 10: Three Years Later

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

'_Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

_**'Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 10: Three Years Later

"You're getting better, Sabrina. You just need to work on the smaller details," informed a redheaded teen to a silver haired one.

"What do you mean by 'smaller' details, sempai?" asked the silver haired one.

"Well for starters, in the bottom left corner, the array is missing the kanji for 'trigger' and the top right is missing the one for 'launch'."

The silver haired girl looked closer to the seal tag she was working on and her eyes widened in surprise at her mistake. She quickly took out a brush and put in the needed markings before she looked to her tutor expectantly. He looked it over with his amethyst eyes before he smiled and nodded.

"Good work. You now have a working _Kunai Seisha Fuiin_ (Kunai Volley Seal). Keep practicing and show me that you can make it in less than three minutes. If you can by next week, we'll move on to the next seal."

The girl smiled brightly to her tutor and nodded excitedly. "I will, just you wait sempai!" She then bowed respectfully before she ran off. "I gotta get to class now! We're being assigned teams today! I'll see you later, Naruto-sempai."

Naruto waved bye to the girl with a smile. Her name was Naiteki Sabrina, a new Genin who Naruto met when he was shopping for some fuinjutsu supplies. He had helped her in the store by pointing out which ink and papers were the best to use and she thanked him for it. After their shopping, he asked if she had been studying fuinjutsu for a while and she said that she had been for about three years. The Uzumaki then asked her to show him her best seal and she complied by presenting a modified _Bakudan Fuiin_ (Bomb Seal). Naruto was impressed with her work but then pointed out some minor flaws that would lessen the effectiveness and helped her fix it.

After helping her, she asked him to show her his best seal and Naruto showed her his _Dōka Fuiin_ (Assimilation Seal) and had it merge his arm with wood from a tree. Her eyes probably broke records with how wide they were and she was quick to ask him to tutor her in the sealing arts. Naruto was unsure if he was teaching material, but he saw the eagerness and determination in her eyes. Naruto had that look many times and he knew that she would never back down from this. So, he agreed to help her every week since she was still in the Academy.

That was half a year ago and Naruto was never more proud of his student. Reina knew of his tutoring and she approved of it; even encouraged it. Her reasoning was that if he learned at an early age what it's like to pass on something, like teachings, to another person, he'd be more ready for it when he became a Jonin Instructor.

Naruto kept his smile as he left the clearing they were in and made his way to Training Ground 13. When he arrived, he saw Uta and Midna discussing battle tactics in case they ever went on another C-Rank Mission. Over the three years, Team 13 had done the required 20 D-Rank Missions needed to take C-Ranks and then focused solely on C-Ranks. Their mission record was 20 D-Ranks and 9 C-Ranks.

The team also had two chances to take the Chunin Exams in Suna or Kumo, but they turned them down. Naruto didn't want to because he made a promise with Fuu to take them when she came to take them in Konoha. Uta and Midna decided not to because they didn't want to leave Naruto behind and they wanted to take them with Fuu as well. Uta had told Midna all about the Nanabi Jinchuriki, even the fact that the greenette had a crush on Naruto, and the two wanted to take them with their friend/rival.

Speaking of crushes, Midna had admitted to liking Naruto after their first year of being Genin. The teen didn't know what to do since he liked Uta, but he also liked Midna and he couldn't choose between them. Fortunately, Reina explained to him that, since he's the last of the Uzumaki Clan, he falls under the Clan Restoration Act. When the redhead asked Hiruzen for details on it, he informed the boy that when he reached a certain age that he needed a minimum of three wives with a maximum of five to help restore his clan. While he stood in the office in shock, Midna took the opportunity to mash her lips with his in hopes of showing him how much he meant to her.

After he got out of his daze from the lip lock, he asked Uta what she thought since she was the first to show him that kind of affection. Uta smiled to him and told him that she had no problems with it as long as she had the final say on who else joined the "Naru-Harem". The Uzumaki turned bright red at the moniker while everyone else laughed at his red face.

He shook out of his reminiscing and went over to his teammates. The three 14yr olds had received plenty of recognition among the shinobi ranks the elite Genin Team. Team 10 took the Chunin Exams a year and a half ago at Suna and they all were able to get promoted to Chunin. Neji and Naruto had become good friends and rivals over the years, even if the Hyuuga was higher ranked then the Uzumaki. The Hyuuga even restored his relationship with his uncle and cousins, much to Hiashi's relief. After explaining the truth of what happened the night of the incident, Neji understood that his father had indeed defied his fate and that he actually died with a smile. When Hiashi asked for forgiveness concerning Hizashi's death, Neji was able to after about a day of thinking it over.

"Hey, Naruto-kun," Midna called out.

"Reina-sensei isn't here yet, so we were working on strategies in case we have another C-Rank Mission," Uta explained.

Naruto nodded as he sat down next to them and the team worked on the battle tactics.

Academy Roof

"Alright, first off I want you all to introduce yourselves. You know, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and dreams," stated a silver haired Jonin named Hatake Kakashi to team seven.

"Could you give us an example, sensei?" asked Haruno Sakura, a pinkette Genin hopeful.

"Sure. Let's see, my name is Hatake Kakashi. I like a lot of things just as I dislike many things. I have plenty of hobbies and my dreams…are not important," he said with his patented eye-smile.

The team all had one single thought. 'All we learned was his name…'

"Okay, your turn Pinky."

Sakura's eye twitched at the name. "My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes are…" she looked to Uchiha Sasuke with a blush on her face. "My dislikes are Ino-pig and Kiba-baka. My hobbies are…" she looked to Sasuke with an even bigger blush. "And my dreams are…" she looked to the Uchiha again but squealed in excitement, making the others sweatdrop and Sasuke slide a little away from her.

"O…kay? Let's move on to you, Mr. Brooder."

Uchiha Sasuke, survivor of the Uchiha Massacre and last of his clan, scowled at the nickname. "My name is _Uchiha_ Sasuke. There aren't many things I like, so I have plenty of dislikes. I have no hobbies aside from getting stronger. And my so-called dream is an ambition. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain man."

_'Wow… So cool,'_ thought Sakura while the other two sighed at the Uchiha.

"Alright, last but not least is you, Chroma," Kakashi said, making their last teammate roll her blue and green eyes.

"My name is Naiteki Sabrina, and yes I have heterochromia, Mr. Cyclops," she started while Kakashi eye-smiled at the nickname. "I love my mother and the sealing arts. I like my sempai for all he's done in helping me improve and the time I spend with him since he's also my friend. I dislike those who mistreat others, rapists, and abusers. I also dislike those who see my sempai as a monster. My hobbies are studying fuinjutsu and cooking with my mother. As for my dreams, I want to be seen as a Seal Master someday, like Yondaime-sama and the Uzumaki Clan."

Kakashi looked to be in thought at her introduction before his eye widened in realization. _'So, Naruto decided to teach Sabrina a few things, huh? Well, if there's anyone she could get the best help from then it's got to be him. I heard that he's getting close to Jiraiya's level.'_ He then gave Sabrina an eye-smile and asked, "How long have you been learning from one of Konoha's _elite_ Genin?"

Sasuke gained a slightly interested look at the term "elite" and looked to Sabrina as well. "Well, we met half a year ago and he helped me with a seal I was working on. After that, he showed me this amazing seal he came up with and I asked him to tutor me! The seal he showed me was so cool! It made his skin fuse with wood from a tree and his fist was strong enough to break through another tree!"

Kakashi looked impressed at her statement while Sasuke looked intrigued and Sakura mentally scoffed. So what if he could break a tree with a wooden fist? Her Sasuke-kun could do it with his bare hand!

"Anyway, now that introductions are out of the way, let me tell you what to expect now that you three graduated."

With Team 13 the Next Day

"Again!" yelled Reina as her students flew through handseals and launched their respective jutsu.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ (Grand Fireball)!" cried out Midna as she shot a huge sphere of flame that was the size of two men in diameter.

"_Doton: __Doryūsō__ no Jutsu_ (Earth Flow Spears)!" yelled Uta as the earth in front of her shot forward as a small wave of spikes.

"_Fuuton: __Shinkūjin_ (Vacuum Blade)!" Naruto cried as he launched a shuriken surrounded by razor sharp wind.

The fireball tore through the ground and engulfed the wooden test dummy in its flames. The target next to it was skewered by the many earthen spears. The last target was cut cleanly by the wind powered shuriken and the team saw the top half slowly slide off and fall off the bottom half.

"Nice work, you three," Reina praised while her students smiled to her.

"Whoa…" came the voice of Sabrina as she sat in a tree. "That was amazing! You guys destroyed those test dummies easily!"

"Hey Sabrina!" Naruto greeted with a grin. "Did you pass your Genin Exam?"

"Yea, my teammates and I- Wait a minute! You knew we'd have to take another test?!" Her answer was Naruto's grin growing slightly. "Why didn't you tell me, sempai?"

"I can't give you all the answers, Sabrina," Naruto told her. "Most of the time, you and your team will go into a mission blind and without much info. You need to be ready for that."

She nodded. "Okay, I get it. So, will you still be teaching me fuinjutsu now that I'm on a team?"

"Of course I will! I won't stop teaching ya just because you have a Jonin Instructor!" he replied with a smirk. "Besides, where else are you gonna learn fuinjutsu?"

Sabrina smiled and nodded. "Thanks, sempai."

"So, who did you get for teammates and a sensei, Sabrina?" asked Reina.

"My teammates are Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke while my sensei is Hatake Kakashi."

"Oh man, you got the emo kid?" asked Midna since she saw how Sasuke acted. "That sucks…"

"It's not that bad. Sasuke may be cold and uncaring, but he is still a skilled Genin. He just needs to open up more."

"I doubt he'll do that so easily though," Uta commented. "All he thinks about is killing his older brother."

Reina scoffed. "It'll take a _long_ time before that gaki could even have a _chance_ at getting Itachi. I'm more interested in your teacher. Kakashi isn't known to taking students. He's more of the lone wolf type."

"Yea… Sensei did seem out of his comfort zone when he passed us. He even had a shocked look on his face as if he was expecting us to fail…"

"Well, he's one of Minato's students so you should be able to learn _something_ from him."

"He was taught by tou-san?" asked Naruto.

"Yep… After losing his teammates and eventually Minato, Kakashi joined ANBU for many years. Sarutobi probably forced him out of it so that he could stop distracting himself with so many high class missions."

"You know, it's rude to talk about someone when you don't know the full story," said a voice from another tree. The group of five looked to see the Copy-Nin sitting on a tree branch and reading his Icha Icha. "Yo," he said with a lazy wave.

Reina's eye twitched at the book while the others looked to the man with deadpan stares. "He's reading porn, isn't he?" asked Midna to Sabrina, who nodded in affirmative.

"Hey, this isn't porn! This is art made by Jiraiya-sama himself!" defended the Cyclops.

"Right…" deadpanned the teens in unison.

"And I'm the Tooth Fairy," Midna said sarcastically, making Kakashi's visible eye twitch.

"Hatake," began Reina as an aura of death surrounded her. "You better put away that book before I remove what makes you a man and make you eat it through a straw."

Kakashi paled at the thought before he quickly put away the book. Like Kushina and _many_ other kunoichi in the village, Reina was a _serious_ pervert basher. Any pervert who came on to her would be beaten into the ground in a flash. Her record so far was 2.37 seconds.

The teens snickered at Kakashi's obedience and whistled innocently when he glared at them. "Anyway, I came to tell Sabrina that we have a team meeting tomorrow morning at 7am."

The silver haired girl scoffed. "More like 9am or later," she muttered, making the others snicker.

Kakashi ignored the comment before he disappeared in a swirl of leaves. "Well, I think that's enough training for the day. I'll see you all tomorrow; same time. Naruto, I'll see you at home," Reina said before she left in a swirl of water.

"So, who else passed, Sabrina?" asked Uta.

"Well, it was mainly the Clan Heirs and Heiresses. There was Aburame Shino, Akamichi Choji, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino. Shino was placed on a team with Hinata and Kiba under Yuhi Kurenai while Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji were placed on one under Sarutobi Asuma."

"What do you think of them skill wise?" asked her sempai.

"Well, I think Hinata's team could easily pass for a Tracker Squad while the other three seem to be the second coming of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. In all honesty, I think that they'll be in this year's Chunin Exams in hopes of representing Konoha and their clans."

"Well, at least we have the advantage in experience, right?" asked Midna to her teammates.

Both smiled to her and nodded. "Yea, we do. Especially with the C-Rank Missions we have under our belt," Uta said.

"Speaking of missions, Sabrina be prepared to be disappointed about your starting missions," Naruto addressed his pupil.

"Why would I be disappointed?"

The others gave her deadpan looks before they said as one, "Because they're just chores…"

Throughout the entire village, everyone heard a yell of "WHAT?!"

(End)

There's chapter 10 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: Team 13 is called on as back up for a certain mission! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	11. Chapter 11: Hero vs Demon

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

'_Thought/Mental Speech'_

"**Bijuu Speech"**

'_**Bijuu Thoughts'**_

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 11: Hero vs. Demon

"Tell me again; why the hell did that baka Kakashi take his barely trained Genin Team on a C-Rank Mission, Hokage-sama?" asked Reina as she and Team 13 stood before Sarutobi in his office.

The Sandaime sighed at the question as he held the scroll requesting backup. Apparently, Team 7 was assigned a C-Rank Mission after the Uchiha flat out demanded to be given something "more worthy of an Uchiha". Now, the mission had gone to shit since the client had lied about its true rank. Team 7 had two run-ins with Nuke-Nin, and Kakashi had decided that backup was needed.

"Ask Kakashi when you see him, Reina. You and your squad are assigned as backup since this mission has bumped up to A-Rank. Be sure to let Team 7 know that you now hold authority over the mission and protect the bridge builder, Tazuna."

Reina nodded while Naruto stepped forward. "Jiji, what was their condition when Kakashi sent the scroll for backup?"

"Apparently, Kakashi is dealing with chakra exhaustion, Sasuke has a couple of bruised ribs, and Sakura had a twisted ankle."

"What about Sabrina?" asked the redhead, worried about his student and friend.

The elderly man's eyes turned downcast as he answered, "She received a deep cut to her stomach by Zabuza's blade. She tried to push Tazuna out of the way of one of his blade strikes, but she received the wound in the process. Kakashi stated that she was stable, but she needs treatment badly. That is where your medical abilities come in, Naruto."

Naruto nodded in determination. He wouldn't let his student die and would make sure she got proper treatment. "Alright you three, we leave in 10 minutes. Meet me at the Main Gate by then!" Reina ordered before she left in a swirl of water. The three teens quickly left the office to prepare for the mission.

While it may have taken Team 7 a couple of days to reach Nami no Kuni due to traveling at civilian speed, Team 13 was able to reach the small and slightly barren town in a manner of hours. Reina had used one of her couatl summons to sniff out the other team as soon as they arrived. They were led to a decent looking building that looked to be the size of a small apartment complex. She knocked gently on the door, so as not to frighten those inside, and was greeted to the sight of a young woman with dark blue hair wearing a purple blouse and a tan apron.

"Yes? May I help you with something?"

"Ma'am, my name is Kōkai Reina of Konoha with my Genin Team. We were sent to assist Team 7 led by Hatake Kakashi by our Hokage."

The woman's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled at them and quickly let them inside. "Thank goodness you arrived as fast as you did! Hatake-san and his students are in the room upstairs. That girl, Naiteki-san, she's in rough shape though…"

That was all Naruto needed to bolt upstairs followed by his teammates. Reina decided to stay with the woman, who introduced herself as Tsunami, and ask about the state of the town and the recent events.

The redhead burst through the door to Team 7's room and saw that Kakashi and Sabrina were bedridden while Sasuke and Sakura were seated in chairs nursing their wounds. "Hey, who the hell are you?!" asked Sakura.

Naruto ignored her and rushed to his student's side while calling forth Yōton (Light) chakra and checking her cut to assess the damage. "Damn it Sabrina, why did you let this happen to yourself? I thought I taught you better than that…"

He heard a weak chuckle and turned to see her blue and green eyes looking to him blearily. "Sorry about that, sempai… I was worried about the client…"

Naruto sighed as he unsealed his ocarina and gently patted her on the arm. "Just try to relax and I'll fix you up."

He raised it to his lips and began to play _Requiem of Spirit_ in a soothing tone. To the eyes of the remaining members of Team 7, they saw a bright white glow surround Sabrina and converge on her stomach area. Uta and Midna watched on with analytic eyes, as did Kakashi, while Sakura and Sasuke were stunned at the sight. The silver-haired teen's wound was slowly stitching itself together and healing before their very eyes. Sabrina had a pained look as the healing took place, but it slowly turned to one of content and peace as the wound finally closed.

When the healing was done, Naruto patted her arm again with a gentle smile as she slept. The gentle rising and falling of her chest were all he needed to see to show that she was fine. "She'll be fine after she gets a few hours of sleep," he informed as he turned to Kakashi. "I'll heal your other two students, Hatake-san, but I can't heal chakra exhaustion. You'll have to recover on your own, unfortunately."

The Jonin nodded and Naruto proceeded to heal the other two, much to Sakura's relief and Sasuke's chagrin. He was annoyed that a simple song was all that the redhead needed to fix him up, but he also figured out that this guy was the one who taught Sabrina fuinjutsu. If he could learn it as well, it could be another thing he could use to take down his brother.

"There, that should do it for you two. Be sure to rest for the rest of the night though. You don't want to overwork your freshly healed bodies or else the wounds will return with interest," advised the redhead as he resealed his ocarina and placed a small package next to his student. "Be sure she opens it when she wakes up, Hatake-san."

"I'll make sure she does, Naruto. Thank you for your help."

The Uzumaki waved him off. "It was no trouble. She's my friend after all, and I always help my friends." He then left the room with his teammates while Sakura turned to her sensei.

"Ne, Kakashi-sensei who was that guy? I've never seen him before…"

"That was Uzumaki Naruto, one of Konoha's 'elite' Genin under Kōkai Reina."

The pinkette had her eyes widen at that. "You mean that he's the Yondaime's son?"

Sasuke was also surprised at that little bit of news while Kakashi stated, "Yes he is, but he has decided to retain his mother's surname. He's been a Genin with his teammates for over three years, so they have plenty of experience. Not to mention that Reina is an elite Jonin, even with her slight handicap. I expect the two of you to listen to them on this mission since Reina will most likely assume command now."

Sakura nodded while Sasuke scowled at the thought of having to take orders from someone of the same rank as him and some woman he never met. His scowl deepened at the thought of Team 13 taking the glory on this mission when it was _his_ team's mission in the first place. _'I won't be seen as a support group for this. By the time this mission is over, _I_ will be the one the people talk about with respect.'_

Back downstairs, Reina was helping Tsunami cook while her squad was helping out by setting the table. "So, I decided that Naruto will stay here and help Kakashi with his team while the rest of us guard Tazuna-san while he works on the bridge. Naruto, you know Sabrina and Kakashi better than they do. That's why I picked you."

"I understand, sensei. I'll be sure to assist Kakashi with his team."

"Good. Now, I want _each_ of you to be on your guard at all times. We never know when Zabuza or this associate of his may suddenly try to attack. So, I want each of you to have your weapons on hand at all times." The trio nodded while Reina continued, "And Naruto, I want you to have your Shukun Ken ready; not Ginkiri."

Naruto nodded before he sealed away his ninjato and unsealed the Master Sword and his Hylia Shield. Uta pulled out a kusarigama (chain-sickle) that had a green blade, a silver chain, and a weighted ball at the end. Midna pulled out a sasumata (spear-fork) that had a wooden pole and a dark purple, "U" shaped metal fork that had multiple barbs on it.

The next few days were routine for the conjoined teams. While Kakashi taught his team tree-walking with Naruto giving them tips and advice, Reina and the girls watched over Tazuna and the other workers. Tsunami's son, Inari, had caused an issue one night at dinner, but Naruto put a stop to it by reminding him that he still had a family, a home, and the bare necessities (mainly food). He went on by saying that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people who didn't even have a _box_ to sleep in during cold nights.

Needless to say, Inari had tearfully apologized to his mother and grandfather for his behavior while Naruto left the home to blow off some steam.

Morning

A young woman dressed in a pink yukata was seen walking through the forested area of Nami with a basked in her arm. In the basket were herbs and other plants that would confuse all but those in tune with medicinal practices. She was in the middle of her search for more herbs when she heard a soft melody in the air. She turned to the source and slowly walked to it before she caught sight of a young redheaded teen leaning against a tree with an ocarina at his lips.

(Play "Lugia's Song")

The melody played was beautiful and caused her tense limbs to slowly relax and even sway slightly to the sound. She was about to take a step closer before she felt chakra emit from the teen and take the shape of a large winged creature that let out a melodious cry. The chakra construct floated in front of the teen and he opened his amethyst eyes with a smile.

(Stop Music)

"Yea… That seems about right. What do you think…Lugia?" he asked while the creature let out another melodic cry. He chuckled at that before his hand reached out and stroked the chakra, making the flaring energy become solid and form a white hide. "I'm glad you like it so much, my friend."

The chakra surrounding the creature kept gaining color and form before the true face of the creature was finally revealed. It was primarily pale silver-white, but it also had a blue underside with slightly varying tones. The creature had a somewhat beak-like, ridged mouth, although the girl saw that it had teeth on its lower jaw when it opened its mouth. Its head had a point to the back, and its eyes had pointed dark blue spikes on them. Its neck was long and slender and its body was smooth and streamlined, with the exception of dark blue spike-like protrusions which ran down the length of its back, and two smaller ones on the ends of its tail. Finally, it had large wings that resembled hands.

Lugia leaned its head down to its creator and Naruto gently stroked its neck with a smile. "I still can't believe that I have this power; to create something as majestic as you… Heh… I wonder if you would be seen as a miracle…or an abomination…"

Lugia sensed its creator's apprehension and rubbed its head against his chest, making him chuckle and wipe the tear that left his eye. It then stiffened before it snapped its head in the direction that the woman was in. Naruto turned as well and widened his eyes in shock and slight fear. He didn't want anyone to see him doing this since he didn't think he had enough control for it.

The girl gave a smile that was meant to be apologetic. "Forgive me for startling you. I didn't think anyone else would be out her at this time." Her gaze met Lugia's and her smile changed from apologetic to awe. "It's beautiful…"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Uh… Yea, it is. I just…met it today!" he said in hopes that she would buy it.

"I saw you make it…" she said, making him get worried. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone. And as for your wondering question… I think what you just did should be seen as a miracle. You created…_life_!"

Naruto sighed as he looked to his creation that seemed to relax when it saw the girl as no threat. "While I appreciate you saying that, there are still some that would see her as an abomination…or as a weapon." Lugia looked to her master with sad eyes at his words. "I don't want the things I create to be used for the wrong reasons… I want them to have something we all seek; freedom…and peace."

"So, she's precious to you?" asked the girl.

"Ya, she is… And so are my friends and my godmother… If anything happened to them, I don't know what I'd do. So, I get stronger for them. I get stronger to better protect them."

The girl smiled and cautiously walked up to the bird-like creature. She hesitantly held out her hand, asking for permission, and Lugia complied by bringing her head closer. The girl smiled as she stroked the creature's head. "I think that you'll succeed in your goal. I believe that true strength comes from fighting for those precious to you. Plus, you care deeply for this creature even when you just made her." She turned to him with a smile. "I have no doubt that you'll protect them to the end."

The redhead smiled gratefully to her. "Thanks… My name is Naruto, by the way; Uzumaki Naruto."

"My name is Haku. It's nice to meet you," she greeted as she shook his hand. "Well, I should go. I still need to gather more herbs for my sick friend. I promise not to tell anyone about Lugia, Naruto-san."

Naruto nodded with a smile and waved her farewell before he looked back to Lugia. "Well, I guess I should head back too… The problem though is how I'm gonna hide you from the others…" Lugia gave her creator an amused look before her nose touched his palm and she faded in a flash of light. Naruto looked to his tingling right palm and saw the kanji for "Sea" on it with Lugia's silhouette circling it. He smiled and murmured, "Well, that's one way to do it."

Two Days Later (Bridge)

Reina sighed as she led hers and Kakashi's teams to the bridge with Tazuna. The Copy Nin had decided to stay at the home in case Gato sent anyone after the bridge builder's family and she reluctantly agreed. Still, she couldn't help but find his team's antics to be highly irritating.

The Haruno girl was, for all intents and purposes, a fangirl. She couldn't stop talking about how "cool" the Uchiha brat was and kept going on and on about how he's the last of a great clan and that he'll bring it back to its full glory one day. Reina caught the hidden message that she tried to send the Uchiha, but the kid didn't even acknowledge the pinkette at all.

The Uchiha was an emo, plain and simple. He had a permanent scowl on his face and she knew it was due to thoughts about killing his elder brother for his actions against the clan. Why the Uchiha never got a psychological checkup was beyond her and she didn't feel like thinking about it.

The Sabrina girl was the only one she found pleasant. She just talked to Naruto about how her training went and about her mother's job as an inventor. Reina also noticed that Sabrina asked her godson about continuing her fuinjutsu studies and the Jonin was pleased to see the redhead give her a scroll with notes in it to read. Reina also saw that the Uchiha's scowl deepened at the sight and she figured that it was jealousy at his teammate for learning something he didn't know.

When the group of eight finally reached the bridge, they saw that it was covered by a dense fog. Tazuna heard a familiar voice groan and saw one of his coworkers on the ground with a deep cut to his torso. "What happened here?"

The man groaned a bit more before he answered, "I-It was…a _monster_." He passed out as soon as he was finished.

Reina scowled at the fog and barked out, "Team 7, triangle formation around the bridge builder! Make sure that _no _one gets to him! Team 13, you stick with me and assist in taking down Zabuza!"

A deep chuckle resounded through the mist, making Team 7 stiffen at the familiarity of the voice. "I guess that Kakashi was too scared to come face me himself if he had to bring a _woman_ of all people to fight his battles."

Reina smirked and called back, "Yea well, this _woman_ has kicked your ass before, Momo-chan!"

Two figures stepped out of the mist, one with a look of anger on his face and the other wearing a Kiri Oinin Mask. The taller figure wore a sleeveless black shirt and matching pants, complete with a waist-guard and Kirigakure issue, striped wrist and leg-warmers. He also had bandages wrapped around the lower half of his face and loosely set as a scarf. The second figure wore standard Oinin gear and had their black hair styled into a bun with twin bangs framing their masked face.

"So, it really is you…Reina," Zabuza growled out. "I never thought I'd ever see you again."

"You know him, sensei?" asked Uta as she held her kusarigama and Midna held her sasumata. Naruto kept his sword and shield strapped to his back and focused on the conversation.

"Yea, I do. I met him years ago when he was just another punk teenager thinking he could take on anybody. I showed him how stupid he was in two minutes when I had his own sword at his throat. Of course, he _did_ get a decent hit on me," she said with a growl as she rubbed her replacement limb. "I still need to get you back for that, you brat."

Zabuza chuckled and pulled out his Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Knife) while his partner pulled out a couple of senbon. "Then by all means, try to do so. I'm _far_ stronger than I was when I met you and I plan on removing a few more limbs from your body before I finally remove your head."

In a blur, Naruto stood in front of his godmother with his sword and shield at the ready. His eyes were set to a fierce glare at Zabuza and he growled out, "I won't let you get to her so easily."

"Naruto, what are you-?"

"Nee-chan," interrupted Naruto. "Let me do this. I still need to test how my sword does against another. You can back me up."

"Naruto, this is one of the _Seven Ninja Swordsmen_! He shouldn't be taken lightly!"

"I know that… But I also know that this is the best opportunity to see if I really am worthy of this blade. If I can't defend my family with it, then I know I'm not the one to wield it."

Reina sighed in slight frustration, but she had a smile on her face. "Alright gaki, I'll back you up. But, if you think you're about to be cut down by him, I want you to fall back and let me handle the rest."

"Got it," he said before he stabbed his blade into the ground and used the sharp edge to cut his thumb. He went through a few handseals before he slammed his bloody palm on the ground. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

From the plume of smoke came one of his carbuncle summons. This one had white fur with a bright yellow gem on its forehead. "Naruto-san, what is it you need?"

"I need you to get rid of this mist, Shun-san."

The summoned creature nodded as its gem glowed brightly. "Very well then, my summoner… _Fuuton: Kyozetsu no Jutsu_ (Wind Repulse)!" From the gem came a shockwave of pure wind that blew away the misty fog and allowed the entire bridge to be seen. "It is done, Naruto-san. I will take my leave from here."

When Shun vanished, Team 13 split into two groups; Reina and Naruto against Zabuza, and Uta and Midna against the Oinin. They all vanished in a blur as the battle began.

Back with Team 7, Sasuke couldn't help but clench his fist in anger at how that redheaded dobe was so far ahead of him. He had a powerful looking sword, a summoning contract, and his sensei allowed him to go against Zabuza while she provided _backup_! He couldn't let this chance to prove how the Uchiha were unmatched slip away, so he pumped chakra into his legs and vanished, leaving Sakura and Sabrina shocked at his actions while Tazuna looked worried at the loss of one of his protectors.

Inside the _Makyō Hyōshō_ (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals)

"_Fuuton: Kaze Tate no Jutsu_ (Wind Shield)!" cried Uta as she defended herself and Midna from the Oinin's senbon barrage. "Midna, do it now!"

"Right! _Katon: __Nesshabyō_ (Heat Stroke)!" yelled the Twili as she swung her sasumata and released a barrage of fireballs at the ice mirrors. The ice melted slightly before it quickly reformed.

"It's useless to try and break these mirrors," stated the Oinin. "My _Makyō Hyōshō_ is unable to melt by your flames. Please surrender… I do not wish to take your lives."

Uta responded by clapping her hands together and surging her power. Her vibrant green hair changed to a fierce red-orange and curled around her head while her eyes changed from cyan blue to red. "_Henge: Pirouette Keitai_ (Transformation: Pirouette Form)!" she stated as her fists began to glow bright red. "Get ready for this; _Kenton: Akusen_ (Fight Release: Close Combat)!"

She disappeared in a blur and smashed right through one of the mirrors, shocking the Hyōton user and allowing Midna to fly through some handseals. "_Inton: Kage Ken_ (Dark Release: Shadow Fist)!" she cried as a glowing purple and black hand rose from her own shadow in the form of an enclosed fist and slammed into the mirror that the Oinin was in. The fake hunter was forced out of her technique and rolled along the ground, too battered to get up.

The girls walked up to her, both panting in exhaustion, and saw the mask fall off revealing a beautiful young woman's face with chestnut colored eyes. "Y-You've won… Now please…finish me…"

Naruto vs. Zabuza

The sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air as Zabuza and his zanbato clashed against Naruto and his longsword/shield combo. The Hylia Shield was strong enough to hold back most of the power from Zabuza's strikes, but their blades were evenly matched in strength.

They both jumped back while Naruto swung his blade and cried out, "_Fuuton: Kaze no Yaiba_ (Wind Blade)!" A crescent shaped blade of sharp wind flew at the Nuke-Nin, but he rolled to the side and dodged the attack before launching a few shuriken at the redhead. The Uzumaki raised his shield to block, but it cut his vision from Zabuza and allowed the swordsman to go through the needed handseals for his technique.

"_Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu_ (Water Dragon)!" he yelled as a serpentine dragon made purely of rushing water flew at the Genin.

Naruto's eyes widened at the pure size of the jutsu and he was about to dodge before an idea came to him. Focusing wind chakra around his form, he spun in place at high speed with his blade outstretched and cried, "_Fuuton: Kaiten Ken_ (Spin Slash)!" The wind sharpened around him and cut through the water as he spun, allowing the jutsu to pass by him with no damage.

"Not bad, kid… You're actually pretty good with that sword of yours," complimented the Nuke-Nin.

"Thanks…" Naruto muttered as he focused chakra on the seal he placed on his shield, making it gain a nice sheen on the front. "Ready for Round 2?" he asked with a grin.

Zabuza chuckled at the kid's confidence before he rushed him with his Decapitating Knife in mid swing. The blade clashed with the shield once again, but this time the shield shined brightly and reflected the force right back at him.

As the Nuke-Nin flew back with a clean cut on his chest, Reina smiled at the sight of her godson holding his own against one of Kiri's old elite. But, she knew that Zabuza was still going easy on him. _'I will have to step in soon… You did a lot better than I hoped you would, Naruto-kun… But this time it wasn't quite enough.'_

"What the hell was that?" questioned Zabuza as he felt the small breeze in the air brush against his fresh wound and made it sting slightly.

"It was a seal… I call it the _Hansha Fuiin_ (Reflection Seal). What it does is it takes the force of an opponent's attack and sends it back at them. No extra force is added, so the damage is relative to the attacker's force."

"Interesting… You know kid, I wouldn't have minded having someone as skilled as you travelling with me. At least Haku would have had someone to spend time with that was closer to her age."

"Haku? You know Haku?"

Zabuza chuckled at his question. "Well, it looks like you two have already been acquainted… Yes, I know her. In fact, she's my partner."

"What?" asked the redhead in shock.

"That's right… I met her years ago when she was just a runt living off of the streets. She had a gift; and a really powerful one at that. So, I took her with me, gave her a purpose, and forged her into a tool fit for any shinobi worth their kunai."

"You're using her!" he yelled in anger. "People aren't _things_ that you use at your leisure! They deserve freedom and peace and the right to forge their own paths in life!"

"You're so naïve… This is the _real world_, brat! Shinobi are just tools for those with power in the end! We aren't people in the eyes of the weak; we're monsters, demons, tools of destruction… And in the end, we'll be left behind and cast aside when we're all used up."

Naruto growled in anger at this while Reina looked away in sadness. "Then I'll prove to them… I'll show them all that we aren't just tools; that we are able to live our lives the way _we_ choose to!" The Shukun Ken began to glow a bright blue at his words. "My sword will be used as a tool for justice; as a means to bring freedom to the oppressed, shelter for the weak, and peace for those living in chaos! I'll be the Hero that this world needs and the one who shows them what peace truly means!"

Zabuza chuckled at his words. "You know that it's a hopeless goal. No matter what, in the end peace is an illusion." He then readied his blade and charged. "Just give up!"

Naruto put away his shield and held his sword with both hands while meeting Zabuza's charge. "You should be the one who gives up…" he cried as he made a sideways swing at Zabuza who swung downwards in response. Naruto, while swinging, evaded the strike and cut cleanly into the Nuke-Nin's side. "…Give up on making _me_ give up," he said as Zabuza fell due to his wound.

Zabuza slowly brought himself to a knee as he held his wound while Naruto stared at him with the Shukun Ken at the ready. They were interrupted by a dual cry of, "Sasuke, no!"

All three of them turned and froze at the sight of the Uchiha stabbing Haku clean through with a kunai in hand. Her eyes were wide in surprise and pain while Uta and Midna looked on in fear.

"HAKU!" yelled out Zabuza as he saw the only person who he ever truly cared for fall over dead.

He would have run to her side, but a sinister laugh came from the unfinished end of the bridge. Everyone turned to see Gato, surrounded by nearly one hundred mercenaries, looking at them with a sick grin. "Well, what d'ya know? It looks like your little bitch is done for, eh Zabuza?"

Naruto growled at that and was about to attack, but Reina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't do anything reckless. We're outnumbered right now."

"Gato… What the hell are you doing here?" asked Zabuza in anger.

"It's simple, really… You're too expensive to hire! So, I decided to offer these fine gentlemen with me half of what I was gonna pay you so that they could kill you, the bridge builder, and anyone else who got in their way. It was nothing personal, Zabuza; just business," he said with a sick laugh.

Zabuza snarled at that and turned to Reina and Naruto. "Our fight is done, brat. I'm not your enemy anymore."

Naruto readied his blade while Reina unsealed a simple katana and Zabuza readied his zanbato. "I'll help you get back at Gato for what he's done, Zabuza-san," Naruto said in determination.

"No… Gato is mine to finish. I just need an opening to get to him. Think you can manage that?"

"I think so, but what I'm about to do is to remain a secret; even you can't tell anyone, nee-chan." She hesitantly nodded while Naruto focused chakra into the seal on his right palm. "Rise and come forth, Lugia!" he cried as the creature flew from his palm in a flash of light and floated next to her creator with a melodic cry. "Alright Lugia, I need you to make an opening for Zabuza!"

The large bird nodded in understanding before a ball of orange energy formed in her mouth. With a cry, she unleashed the pent up power into a focused beam of energy that tore through the mercenaries. Zabuza saw his opening and rushed in to get to the corrupt business tycoon. He sliced down anyone who got in his way, but even with the opening it was too crowded to maneuver through. As a result, he got stabbed a few times in the back by some lucky hits, but he was able to reach Gato in the end and slice the man in two.

With their employer dead, the mercenaries quickly tried to run away, but one fell victim to an arrow through his chest. Everyone turned to see the people of Nami standing behind them all with weapons at the ready to defend their home. At the front were Inari, who had a bow and arrow in his hand, and Kakashi who had a large ninja dog with him.

"Sorry we're late," Inari said with a grin. "The traffic was terrible!" he elaborated, making Kakashi chuckle.

"Quick, jump off the bridge!" yelled a random merc before he did just that and was followed by the others.

Zabuza slowly trudged across the bridge and made his way to Haku, but his legs lost their strength when he was about halfway there. He would have fallen on his face if Lugia hadn't used her tail to catch him by his chest.

"Thank you…" he said weakly. Naruto supported Zabuza and helped him get to his partner before laying him down next to her. He weakly raised a hand to her cheek and gently caressed it. "Haku… I never got to tell you just how much you truly meant to me… You were never a tool… No, you were much more than that…" The others watched on sadly; Uta, Midna, and Sabrina standing next to Naruto with tears in their eyes. "I'm sorry for many things, Haku… But the thing I am most sorry for is the fact that I will never go to where you are now. You were a pure soul and I was just a demon in human skin." He coughed out blood before he felt snowflakes gently fall on his face. "Snow… Are these your tears, Haku? Do you weep for a demon like me?" He gave one last weak chuckle before his body stopped moving.

A stray snowflake fell on Haku's eye and melted before its liquid form ran down her cheek; much like a final tear.

Naruto looked on with sadness and regret while he thought of all the good things these two could have done with their lives. _'I'm so sorry… I wish I could have helped you both…'_ He wiped the tears from his eyes before he looked to their bodies with a determined gaze. _'I make this pledge to you both… I will show the world peace and prove to them that we are not tools or demons… I'll show them all that we are…'_ he looked to the snowy skies with a smile.

_'…Free.'_

(End)

There's chapter 11 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: The Chunin Exams have finally begun! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	12. Chapter 12: Chunin Exams

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own anything other than original characters and techniques!

"Speech"

_'Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

**_'Bijuu Thoughts'_**

"_Techniques_"

(Translations)

[Scene Shift]

Chapter 12: Ready, Set, Go! Chunin Exams!

"Man, it's good to finally be back," Sakura exclaimed with a relieved sigh as the conjoined teams 7 and 13 made their way through the main gates.

"Indeed," Kakashi agreed before he turned to his Genin. "I'm gonna give Hokage-sama the mission report. You three are free to do as you please for the rest of the day. Catch ya later."

After he left in a poof of smoke, Reina sighed and turned to her own students. "I have to give our side of the report. I'll see you three later. And Naruto," she began while turning to her godson, "we need to talk later."

Naruto nodded before he, Uta, Midna, and Sabrina all went to Ichiraku's while Sasuke and Sakura went their own ways. Along the way, the four noticed how some of the passerby people had hiate from other villages. While Sabrina looked confused, the members of Team 13 smiled.

"Is it that time already?" Midna asked rhetorically.

"I believe so," Uta answered with her smile turning to a grin.

Sabrina looked to them in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The Chunin Exams," Naruto answered, making the silver haired Genin turn to him. "It's a test that Genin are allowed to take for the chance to be promoted to Chunin. It happens every year but it's held in various villages. This time, Konoha is hosting it."

"Wow… Hey, will you three take it?"

Midna and Uta shared a look while Naruto grinned. "Of course! I promised someone that I'd see them again when Konoha hosted them."

Sabrina raised a brow in confusion and asked, "Who?"

"Me," a voice said, making them all turn around to see a familiar greenette who was smiling at them. "Hey Naruto-kun, Uta-san!" greeted Fuu.

"Fuu-chan, you made it!" Naruto happily exclaimed as he hugged her, missing her blush. The other three saw it and the redhead's teammates merely shared a smile at the sight. Sabrina on the other hand felt something bubble up in her at seeing someone she respected being hugged by someone she didn't know.

"How have you been, Naruto-kun?" asked the Nanabi Jinchuriki.

"I've been doing great! Oh, before I forget, let me introduce you to my teammate and student." He put an arm around Midna, who smiled at how close she was being held, and said, "This is Midna Twili, my teammate and good friend."

"Oh, I think we're _past_ friends, Naruto-kun," Midna said while she kissed his cheek and made him blush.

Fuu's eye twitched slightly, but she kept her friendly smile. Naruto then moved over to Sabrina and placed a warm hand on her shoulder, making her blush at how comforting the contact was, and said, "And this is my student and friend, Sabrina Naiteki. I've taken her under my wing for fuinjutsu."

Fuu's eye twitched again at the blushing face of the silverette, but she kept her smile and said, "Nice to meet you both."

"You too," the both of them said while all of the girls sent one another a hidden message.

_"I'm not gonna lose to you!"_

Within the seal, the Kyuubi was laughing its ass off at the scene. **"Sweet Kami-sama, the kid's a regular babe-magnet! Hahahaha!"**

"So," Naruto began, oblivious of the thoughts of the others, "we were gonna get a bite to eat at my favorite ramen stand. Did you want to join us?"

Fuu brightened up and was suddenly latched onto his right arm, gently pushing his arm between her B-Cup chest. "I'd love to, Naruto-kun."

Naruto blushed at her actions while the others looked to the greenette with "demon eyes". While the five went to the stand, Kyuubi kept laughing in the seal.

[Hokage Office]

"So, as I'm sure you all are aware, the Chunin Exams have arrived. Are there any of you who wish to nominate your teams?" asked Sarutobi to his many Jonin.

Many Jonin nominated their teams, but what caught the aged Kage's attention was when Reina and the three sensei for the Rookie Genin stepped forward.

"I nominate my team, Sarutobi," Reina said with a grin and crossed arms.

"I, Kakashi Hatake, nominate Team 7 consisting of Sakura Haruno, Sabrina Naiteki, and Sasuke Uchiha for the exams."

"I, Kurenai Yuhi, nominate Team 8 consisting of Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga, and Kiba Inuzuka for the exams."

"I, Asuma Sarutobi, nominate Team 10 consisting of Choji Akamichi, Shikamaru Nara, and Ino Yamanaka for the exams."

The Hokage nodded while Iruka Umino stepped forward, his face that of shock. "Now hold on! I've taught those nine personally and I know that they aren't ready for this!"

"Relax, Iruka-san," Kakashi said in his normal lazy tone. "A little 'eye-opening' experience will do them good. They still have that 'glory-seeking' mentality, which is no good for a shinobi."

"That's your reasoning?! You're sending them possibly to their deaths just to teach them to be more serious about their careers?!"

"Now calm down, Iruka," Asuma said while pulling out his unlit cigarette. "We'll warn them of the dangers, so whether they take these exams will be up them."

"We wouldn't just send them in without any knowledge of the dangers," Kurenai added.

"But still-" Iruka began before he was interrupted by someone unexpected.

"Hokage-sama, why are we listening to the words of someone who has no idea of the training that these rookies have been through?" asked Reina. "Surely his words have no merit here since these Genin are not children anymore. As soon as they put on those headbands, they became soldiers of this village; members of the Leaf who know the _risks_ that being shinobi entail."

Iruka looked to her in anger, but Hiruzen raised his hand to silence him. "She has solid points, Iruka. The Genin are able to choose to take the exams and they are going to be told of the risks. She's also right on you no longer having the need to treat them like children. As soon as they accepted this life, they became adults in the eyes of this village and other villages. I approve of the nominations and wish your teams luck in these exams."

[Two Days Later]

Team 13 made their way to the Village Ninja Academy to take their exams. The day before, Naruto had run into two Suna Genin and the Hokage's grandson in an altercation. The male Genin was about to pound the kid, but Naruto stepped in and stopped them from embarrassing their village by harming the grandson of the Leaf's Kage.

Before the male Genin, who was revealed to be named Kankuro, could escalate the fight, the two Genin's last teammate arrived and instantly took control of his teammates. The redheaded Suna Genin introduced himself as Subaku no Gaara and also introduced that the female Genin was named Temari. The three were siblings and were taking the exams together.

Naruto still couldn't get over the fact that Kyuubi told him that Gaara held the Ichibi.

_"The fox wants me to warn the raccoon not to cause too much trouble,"_ was what he told Gaara, which made his eyes widen in surprise. After they left, Naruto informed his teammates of Gaara's status and told them to be on their guard around him. He also extended the warning to Fuu and Sabrina, which earned him a kiss on the cheek from both for his concern.

He still blushed when he thought about their responses to his warning. _'Man… It's almost like they want to be with me too… Who's next; Princess Zelda?!'_

Within her castle gardens, a certain Hylia princess sneezed.

"You okay, Naruto-kun? You've been mumbling to yourself for a while now," commented Uta with concern.

"Yea," he sighed. "I'm alright. I was just thinking over some things…" The two still looked concerned but resumed walking while he suddenly stooped. "Hey," he called to them, making them turn to him. "I know how you two feel about me," he began, making them all blush slightly, "but how would you feel if I started thinking of other girls in a similar way?"

The two looked to him in surprise before Midna asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if I liked spending time with girls like I do with you both?"

"Anyone in particular, Naruto-kun?" asked Uta while already having an idea.

"Yea… Fuu-chan and Sabrina-chan… I keep getting this feeling like they want to be closer to me, and…I think I'm starting to feel the same," he admitted while looking away from them.

The two girls shared a look before they both smiled softly. They then walked up to the Uzumaki and kissed his cheeks simultaneously, making him turn into a walking cherry. He looked to them and saw them smiling at him. "We already had a feeling that they felt that way about you," Uta began.

"At first, we weren't exactly fond of sharing you, but when you said that you were feeling the same way about them, we decided to give them a chance," Midna finished.

"But," Uta said, giving the redhead a pointed look, "we will always be your first, Naruto-kun." She then gently kissed him on the lips and Midna did the same when the earthbound girl moved away.

When the Twili pulled away, she said, "Never forget that, Naruto-kun."

Naruto smiled to them and nodded. "I won't; I promise. And I'll prove it when I give you girls something special later tomorrow night."

"Why tomorrow?" asked Uta as the three resumed their walking.

"Because tomorrow is a New Moon, and I have something planned for it," answered the Uzumaki with a secretive grin. The girls smiled at the prospect of him giving them something special and nodded.

[Exam Room (half an hour later)]

Team 13 looked on in surprise at the many teams of Genin that were there for the exams. Various villages, both large and small, had sent Genin teams in hopes of showcasing how well their forces were.

Naruto turned his attention to Fuu's team and smiled at her while she did the same with a wink added in. He then turned to Team 7 and locked eyes with Sabrina. She blushed but waved at him, which he returned but also mouthed, "You'll do fine; relax." She nodded and mouthed back her thanks.

He then looked around and noticed what the village had referred to as the rest of the Rookie 9. Team 8 consisted of an Aburame boy, a Hyuuga girl, and an Inuzuka boy with a small ninken on his head. The Aburame looked as stoic and silent as many others of his clan and the Inuzuka as confident as his clan. The Hyuuga girl looked nothing like her clan personality wise. While her clan was known to be confident, if not arrogant, she looked downright terrified being surrounded by so many people.

_'Poor girl,'_ thought the redhead with a shake of his head. She wouldn't last too long with her confidence being so low.

Team 10 had an Akamichi boy, a Nara boy, and a Yamanaka girl who was currently wrapping her arms around Sasuke from behind and making a scene with Sakura. Like their clans, the Akamichi and Nara were either having a snack to calm their nerves or looking around with a lazy and analytic eye. The Yamanaka didn't seem concerned at all with anything other than gaining the attention of the Uchiha.

"Geez," Naruto muttered, gaining the attention of his teammates, "I wonder what their sensei were thinking when they told them of the exams. Almost none of them look ready."

"Who do you think _is_ ready, Naruto-kun?" asked Uta.

"Sabrina is; of that I have no doubt. As for the others, I'd say the Aburame, the Nara, and Sasuke. Everyone else looks too overconfident, worried, or unconcerned; all of which won't help them in these exams."

"Hey," Midna said while pointing to a silver-haired teen dressed in purple and wearing glasses. "He looks experienced, and it looks like he's offering them some advice."

The trio then saw the teen pull out some cards and heard Sasuke mention Gaara and Naruto's names. "Why would he ask about you?" Uta questioned with narrowed eyes.

"That guy probably has info on me that the Uchiha wants to exploit during these exams," Naruto said as he made his way over.

"Next we have Naruto Uzumaki, one of Konoha's Elite Genin," stated the silverette teen as he held up Naruto's card. "Let's see, his teammates are Uta Senritsu and Midna Twili and his sensei is Reina Kōkai. He's also been revealed to be the son of the Yondaime, but he has forsaken his father's name in favor of his mother's. He is very proficient in ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and fuinjutsu. That's interesting… Not many people look into that art. He also has above average taijutsu, some medical knowledge, and an unknown summons; two of them actually. One of them looked like a canine with a gem on their head while the other looked like a very large bird. He also wields a shield and sword bearing the symbol of Hylia from Tetsu no Kuni."

"Quite the amount of info you have on me, Genin-san," Naruto said with crossed arms and a glare. "Some of that information is unknown to many people; not even the Hokage knows some of it."

The teen, whose name was Kabuto Yakushi, looked to him with a small smirk. "Knowledge is power, Uzumaki-san. I need to know _all_ I can about my competition if I want to survive in these exams."

The two shared a staring match while the tension in the air grew and made some of the other Genin sweat. Naruto's eyes gained slit pupils for a second as the faint scent of snakes reached his nose. His eyes narrowed at that, but he couldn't say anything else as three blurs made their way to Kabuto and made to strike him. The teen dodged their attacks, but his glasses suddenly cracked and he fell to his knees in disorientation.

"Put this in those stupid cards of yours," began the Oto Genin who looked like a walking mummy.

"The Genin team of Otogakure are gonna win this exam," stated the other male who had his hair spiked upwards.

The girl was silent but she took a glance at Naruto and raised her brow at his aura. It felt slightly primal, but it also felt reigned in, like he was holding himself back. She unconsciously licked her lips at the feeling. _'Looks like I found an interesting subject,'_ she mused.

"That's enough of that!" roared a male voice as a scarred man clad in black appeared with many other Konoha-Nin in a large plume of smoke. "There will be no fighting in these exams unless we permit it! Is that clear?!"

"Yes sir," said the mummy Oto-Nin. "We were just overly excited since this is our first exam."

The man grunted before he had his assistants hand out numbers and the Genin each took their assigned seats. "Now then, my name is Ibiki Morino and I will be your First Examiner. As of this very moment, the Chunin Exams have begun! Welcome to Hell, brats!"

(End)

There's chapter 12 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts!

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: The Chunin Exams have begun with a written test and a deadly forest! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	13. Chapter 13: A Deadly Forest

Hey FanFiction! This is pain17ification continuing "Melodic Maelstrom".

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto, Zelda, or Pokémon!

"Speech"

_'Thought/Mental Speech'_

**"Bijuu Speech"**

**_'Bijuu Thoughts'_**

"_Techniques_"

(Translations/Notes)

[Scene Shift]

Chapter 13: A Deadly Forest

Team 13 couldn't stop their simultaneous eye twitches as Ibiki told them the true meaning behind the Infamous Tenth Question. The written test they had just passed was about gathering information in secret with eyes all over the room. Of course, this was a simple task for them.

Uta, much like the Oto Genin, listened to the sounds of the pencils moving across the paper to determine what the person in front of her was writing. Midna used her own version of the Nara Clan's _Kagemane no Jutsu_ to merge her shadow with someone else's, but she allowed them to be in control so that she would write exactly what they did. As for Naruto, he summoned a clone that was instantly transformed into a fly and had it scour the room for anyone with a good test paper. When it found one, the clone spent a good ten minutes memorizing the paper before it dispelled and gave the information to Naruto.

While Ibiki was continuing to explain the point of the test, Naruto looked around the room for anyone else who passed. He was pleased to see that Fuu's team and Team 7 had passed, but he also noticed that the other Konoha Rookies, the Suna Team, Oto Team, and some others he didn't really care for passed as well; although he did take note of another Oto Team that passed consisting of two redhead girls and a white-haired boy.

Just as Ibiki finished speaking, a blur crashed into the room and exploded into smoke. When it was cleared, a woman with violet hair, brown eyes, and slightly revealing clothes was seen in front of a banner that said, "Proctor of the Second Test: The Sexy and Single Mitarashi Anko".

"Alright you little maggots!" she exclaimed before she dramatically pointed to the window she crashed through. "The Second Test begins now, so follow me!"

The Genin and Chunin in the room looked to her like she was crazy before Naruto started to chuckle, which then turned into laughter. He had the room's attention as he kept laughing and Anko's eye was starting to twitch in annoyance.

"Oi, got something to say gaki?!"

The redhead slowly started to calm his laughter as he answered, "I just thought that your entrance was pretty cool. You interested in swapping notes some time? I got some ideas to make your entrances more…epic!"

The woman stared at him with a slightly slack-jaw expression before she grinned. "You know what, kid? You aren't so bad. Tell ya what, if you live past the Second Exam, then I'll swap notes with ya. Deal?"

The Uzumaki gave her a thumbs-up and nodded while Anko had the Genin follow her to the Forest of Death. After a lengthy explanation of the test – which was basically Capture the Flag on steroids – she had the teams collect their scrolls that they would have to protect. Team 13 had a Heaven Scroll and waited for the other teams to finish getting theirs. As they waited, Naruto felt eyes on him and turned to find the source. He locked eyes with the two redheads who were staring at him intently. Feeling slightly awkward, since he felt no ill intent, he gave a nervous wave which was immediately returned, but with small smiles.

"See Tayuya; I knew he was an Uzumaki!" whispered one of them while the other looked to her skeptically.

"And how can you be so sure, Karin?"

Karin rolled her eyes and replied, "You forget that I'm the best sensor in Oto. His chakra is almost exactly like ours in origin, but it feels much more potent; almost like whatever other chakra he has is increasing it."

"Is it like my Curse Mark?" asked the other redhead with slight worry.

"In a way," Karin answered with a slight depression in her tone. "But he appears to have been born with it, or had it in him at a _very_ early age. In any case, he's an Uzumaki and lives in Konoha. What should we do?"

Tayuya looked back to Naruto who was talking contently with the two girls on his team. She couldn't help but smile at seeing a member of her family so…peaceful. "I think I have an idea, but we'll have to do it carefully."

"Whatever you two are planning, count me in," their third teammate voiced, making them look to him in suspicion. He put his hands up in surrender and explained, "Look, you both know that I don't like Orochimaru. The only reason I joined him was because he tempted me with being able to collect the Seven Swordsmen's Blades. It's been five years now and nothing has happened; so if you two are planning to somehow leave him, then count me in."

The two Uzumaki girls nodded in thanks before the three Genin started talking about how to defect.

After the teams all had their scrolls, Anko gave the last bit of advice she felt they would need: don't get killed. Of course, this made most of the Genin nervous while others smirked at the chance to shine. With the signal to begin, the Genin all rushed inside at top speed, leaving Anko smirking at their enthusiasm.

Team 13 quickly made their way to a water source and decided to wait for either a team to find them, or for a day to pass so that they would still be in top form while others were too tired. It took most of the afternoon to find a small river, but it was perfect for their use. They then found a tree large enough to dig into for shelter and caught fish for the night's meal.

When it was the dead of night, Naruto was seen seated on the river in deep concentration while Uta and Midna watched on. The stars in the sky were all alone that night due to it being a New Moon and the girls were curious as to what their male teammate and love interest had in store for them.

(Play "Oracion Leaf Whistle")

They then heard a soothing sound play from his location and looked to him playing from a leaf whistle as chakra began to leak from his form. The chakra split into two smoky orbs that slowly began to take shape; one in front of each girl.

From the first came a pink, bipedal cat-like creature. As it formed in front of Uta, she saw that the forming hair was so fine and thin that it looked like it was only visible under a microscope. It had a long, skinny tail ending with a rounded tip, big hind legs and short arms with three-fingered paws. Its feet were very large with oval markings near its three toes and had triangular ears and baby blue eyes.

The one in front of Midna was a black, shadow-like creature that had a small head with a white fog-like ghostly substance billowing from it. The substance covered one of its bright blue eyes, with the portion on its face resembling hair. It also had a red spiky growth around its neck, had skinny arms and long black tatters hanging from its shoulders. It also has black, claw-like hands and had the slight appearance of an hourglass figure while the lower half of its body made it appear to be wearing an old, ripped cloak.

(Stop Music)

When they were fully formed, Naruto stopped playing and looked to the two girls with a smile. He walked up to them and stood in between the two creatures that seemed to enjoy his presence. "Uta, Midna… These are my gift to you two; Mew," he points to the cat-like one, "and Darkrai," he pointed to the shadow-like one. "They will be your familiars and partners in battle while also allowing us to have a telepathic link to one another."

The two creatures bowed to their respective partners before they turned into wisps of chakra that were absorbed into their hands. On Uta's hand was the kanji for "Genesis" while Midna's had the kanji for "Dream". Once they were fully absorbed, the redhead found himself locked into a three-way kiss between himself and the two girls he liked. They thanked him repeatedly before they led him to their shelter and cuddled up with him for the night. They all slept with smiles on their faces that night.

[Two Days Later]

Naruto sighed in frustration as he looked to the two Heaven Scrolls that his team had. They had spent the day before rigging many traps around the forest in hopes of capturing any teams, but they were unsuccessful. This day, they decided to be more assertive in their search and went on the hunt. So far, all they got was another Heaven Scroll as well as some memories that were…unpleasant.

"Seriously, who is dumb enough to get turned into a hollow husk by leeches?" Midna muttered in annoyance.

"They probably didn't notice until it was too late," Uta reasoned.

Naruto was about to comment before a scream was heard by them all; one that sounded close…and familiar.

"Sabrina!" Naruto cried before he rushed through the foliage at high speed followed by his teammates. They were blurs to anyone who was lucky enough to see them as they reached where Naruto assumed his student was located. His eyes widened in fear as he saw her bleeding from her arms and leaning on the trunk of a tree. He rushed over to her and tried to get her awake.

She stirred and opened her eyes weakly to the sight of Naruto looking to her in concern. "Hey…sempai…" she said tiredly.

"What happened?" asked the redhead as he began to bandage up her wounds and unsealed his ocarina.

"We… We were ambushed by some Kusa kunoichi. She just toyed with us before Sasuke used a high level fire jutsu on her. Her…" Sabrina's eyes changed to horror. "Her face was melting, but it had another face underneath! She then ripped it off and said that she was actually a he named Orochimaru!"

Team 13's eyes widened in shock. "B-But what is he doing here?!" asked Midna in a slight panic.

"I don't know… But he was very interested in Sasuke and even bit him for some reason," Sabrina answered while Naruto used the Prelude to Light song to heal her wounds. "If I had to guess – since it came up a lot as he spoke – he's after Sasuke's Sharingan."

Naruto scowled at that. "Of course… Orochimaru wants those eyes to learn all the jutsu he can." He then looked around and noticed that Sasuke and Sakura were missing. "Sabrina," he began in a tone that made the others know he was incredibly angry, "where are your teammates?"

Sabrina's eyes widened and looked around before she growled in anger. "Those assholes ditched me!" she fumed as she attempted to stand. Of course, Naruto helped her do so which made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"We better find them," Uta said while Naruto's eyes were blank, making her mentally pray for the two other members of Team 7. _'May Kami-sama have mercy on you both when Naruto-kun gets his hands on you…'_

As the group of four – with Sabrina being carried piggyback by Naruto – tried to find the other members of Team 7, Sabrina used this time to get some rest since she was still sore and tired from the fight. He head rested on Naruto's back and she snuggled in, making him blush slightly. Uta and Midna saw this and couldn't help but giggle at their boyfriend's red face.

They were jumping through the trees for around ten minutes before they heard a familiar voice shrieking at others to leave her Sasuke-kun alone. They all sighed at how she practically yelled out her location to _everyone_ and made their way to her.

When they got there, they saw the Oto Genin that attacked Kabuto stalking toward and obviously tired and exhausted Sakura while Sasuke looked to be having a fever in the hollowed tree he rested in. Naruto gently shook Sabrina awake before he threw a few shuriken to block the Oto Genin's path to the pinkette.

"Sorry," he began as he and the girls landed where his shuriken were. "We can't let you get to either of them." Sakura actually smiled at the sight of people protecting her, but her smile fell when Naruto finished. "She still has to answer for ditching her teammate and practically leaving her to die."

Zaku, the Genin with spiky black hair, scoffed. "Oh yeah? And how the hell do you think you'll stop us?" A blur shot past him and he screamed in pain as the backs of his legs were sliced into, making him fall.

"I have my ways," Naruto said with Ginkiri in hand. His back was to them as he continued, "Now leave, or else I will not hesitate to cripple you further."

Zaku looked murderous while Dosu tried to think of a way to get to Sasuke and Kin licked her lips at the display of skill. _'I was right… He is _very_ interesting…'_

They were suddenly interrupted by a surge of foul chakra that came from the Uchiha. Markings were spread all over his face and down his arms while a cruel smirk was visible.

The other Oto Team, who was hidden in the treetops, tensed at the feeling coming from the Uchiha's Curse Mark. _'This can't be good…'_ Tayuya thought in slight worry.

Sasuke looked to the people in the clearing before his eyes locked in on Naruto's and his smirk grew. With a burst of speed, he raced toward the Uzumaki with a kunai in hand. Naruto tensed at the sudden charge and prepared to defend himself, but Sabrina got between them and held up a seal tag.

"_Fuinjutsu: Gekitai Fuiin_!" she cried as the seal activated and pushed Sasuke back with a burst of pure force. The strength of the force pushed Sasuke into the trunk of one of the many trees and knocked some sense back into him.

Sakura ran over to him and looked him over while the markings receded and he was left out of breath. Dosu took this time to leave with his teammates while handing Naruto their Earth Scroll.

Naruto spun Sabrina around to face him and hugged her, making her blush a very bright red. "That was awesome, Sabrina-chan!" he exclaimed. "Your fuinjutsu has really improved!"

"W-Well, it was n-nothing compared to y-your seals, Naruto-sempai," she stuttered in embarrassment.

He still grinned at her and asked, "Hey, what scroll do you need?"

"We need a Heaven Scroll," she answered as Naruto tossed her his team's extra.

"There, now you guys have your scrolls!" he said before he kissed her forehead and walked over to his teammates, leaving Sabrina looking like a human cherry. "Alright, let's head to the tower and finish this test already. This forest gives me the creeps."

His teammates shook their heads with smiles as Team 13 left the clearing. Sabrina took this time to get her teammates up and moving to the tower as well.

[Central Tower (End of Test)]

Naruto and his teammates looked to the other passing teams as they stood on what looked like an arena floor. There was Team 7, 8, and 10 from Konoha along with Kabuto's team, the Suna Team, the two Oto Teams, and Fuu's Team which left a total of 27 Genin.

"Well, I'm honestly surprised that so many of you are still here," Anko said before she saw Naruto's team and grinned. "I guess some of you are tougher than I thought. However, we still have too many Genin, so we will be having Preliminary Matches to weed you out some more. From here on out, you all are in this for yourselves; so your choices do not affect your team's future. Is there anyone who wishes to back out now?"

Kabuto's Team, who all looked like they had gone through a warzone, one Fuu's teammates, and surprisingly Sakura all raised their hands. When Ino asked Sakura why she was giving up, the pinkette said, "I'm not ready… I realized that when I couldn't do anything in the forest other than rely on my team. I'll try again next time."

This left a total of 22 Genin, which meant 11 preliminary matches. The Genin were then shown a large screen that shuffled through names before two lit up.

Anko turned to them and announced, "The first match will be against Akamichi Choji and Abumi Zaku!"

(End)

_**Jutsu List:  
**_**Kagemane no Jutsu: **Shadow Possession Technique  
**Fuinjutsu: Gekitai Fuiin:** Sealing Technique: Repelling Seal

There's chapter 13 for ya! So, what did you guys think of it? I hope you enjoyed it and want to hear your thoughts! What do you think will happen next?

Please for the love of all things decent and pure, review!

Next Time: The Chunin Exams continue with the Preliminaries! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


End file.
